The over-a-century old Yakshagana mela, the Kateel Durgaparameshwari Prasadita Yakshagana Mandali, in Dakshina Kannada will revert to all-night shows from January 14, after the High Court of Karnataka gave the go-ahead for the same last month subject to adherence to noise pollution rules.
The mela, started in the mid-19th century, with six performing troupes now had switched to performing short shows from the 2022-23 touring season (from November 2022) after the State government issued a circular in May 2022, which did not allow loudspeakers, an integral part of Yakshagana performances, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. except in closed premises.
Later, then Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada M.R. Ravi Kumar allowed the mela to perform till 12.30 a.m., considering the tradition of Yakshagana as a special case.
Later, a resident of Bengaluru and a devotee of the temple questioned the endorsement by the Deputy Commissioner, on November 15, 2022, restricting the timings till 12.30 a.m.
The reason for restricting the performance till 12.30 a.m. was that the sound would be beyond the permitted decibel levels. Pointing out that the practice of performing Yakshagana is from dusk to dawn, the petitioner said that the restriction was introduced mainly owing to COVID-19 norms.
The HC allowed the mela to perform from dusk to dawn adhering to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, after counsel for the petitioner gave an undertaking that they would adhere to the decibel norms.
However, the court made it clear that if the undertaking was breached, then it was open to the Deputy Commissioner to initiate action as per law.
President of the managing committee of Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple, which managed the mela, and its hereditary trustee Sanath Kumar Shetty told The Hindu that the mela will stop performing in its truncated form from Makar Sankranti as many have demanded all-night shows and the court has permitted it.
Most shows of the mela are “harake” (hosting the Yakshagana show for God fulfilling a wish) performances. The troupes have been told to reduce the sound of loudspeakers to the prescribed level, he said.
Fans and regular hosts of the performances of the mela, under the auspices of Sri Kateel Melada Yaksha Seva Samithigala Okkuta, took out a padayatra from Bajpe, on the outskirts of the city, to Kateel on November 6, 2022 demanding all-night shows. The okkuta had also held two consultative meetings in the city earlier.
Researcher on Yakshagana melas and author of Tenkanada Yakshagana, Uppangala Shankaranarayana Bhat, told The Hindu that as per a document, the Kateel mela was started in 1867.
