The traditional “bhagawathike” (singing) of the Tenku Thittu (southern school) and Badagu Thittu (northern school) will soon be documented in an audio-visual form to make them available for future generations in its true form.
The Karnataka Yakshagana and Bayalata Academy will do it for five days in Udupi from February 20, president of the academy Belagallu Veeranna has said.
According to P. Kishan Hegde, member of the academy, senior bhagawathas of both the schools will be invited for the recording. Some of them identified so far from Badagu Thittu include Nebburu Narayana Bhagawatha, Heranjalu Gopala Ganiga, Vidwan Ganapathi Bhat, Subrahmanya Achar Nagara, and Kolagi Keshava Hegde.
In addition, Balipa Narayana Bhagawatha, Tenkabailu Tirumaleshwara Shastri, Padyana Ganapathi Bhat, and Puttige Raghurama Holla have been identified now for the documentation purpose. The documentation will focus on recording such songs sung in the traditional ragas and talas. The academy will identify some more bhagawathas of both the schools as some more time is left for the documentation.
Mr. Veeranna said that the academy was now conducting a survey of artistes of different forms of Yakshagana and Bayalata in all the districts to document them in the form of a directory.
The academy in 2010 had brought out two volumes of the directory on Yakshagana artistes of Tenku Thittu and Badagu Thittu. It was titled Yakshopasakaru. The two volumes contained details of 300 artistes.
The present survey will identify those who have been left out.
