Ramachandra Hegde to play Krishna for first time

Kondadakuli Ramachandra Hegde playing Hanumantha and SiddakatteSadashiva Shettigar as Lankini in Lanka Dahana Yakshagana prasanga inMangalore. File photo

A seven-hour Yakshagana performance involving more than 15 well known artistes awaits art lovers in the city on Sunday (December 29).

The venue of the shows, which begin at 2 p.m., will be Ramakrishna Ashram, near Mangaladevi temple. The show is open to all.

It is organised by Vibhinna, a group of like-minded people to promote quality Yakshagana here. The fifth edition of the annual show this year would feature veteran artiste of Badagu Thittu (northern) school of Yakshagana Kondadakuli Ramachandra Hegde playing Sri Krishana for the first time in his more than three decades of Yakshagana career, a release said.

According to the Vibhinna release, Mr. Hegde would play the character of Sri Krishna in the ‘prasanga’ (episode) titled ‘Sri Krishna Parandhama’. The highlight of this episode would be on how Sri Krishna ended his life in Dwapara ‘yuga’.

The artistes would present three series of shows, with ‘Sri Krishna Parandhama’ being the last one, all focusing on the life of Sri Krishna who preached ‘Bhagavadgeetha’, the holy script of the Hindus.

The first show ‘Kamsa Vadhe’ would focus on the killing of Kamsa by the young Krishna.

According to the organisers, another veteran artiste of Badagu Thittu school of Yakshagana Totimane Ganapathi Hegde would play the character of Kamsa in Mangalore for the first time.

The focus of the second show titled ‘Guru Dakshine’ would be on Sri Krishna fulfilling the desire of his teacher Sandeepa Muni by killing a ‘rakshasa’ named Panchajana who was troubling ‘rushis’ doing ‘tapas’ (unbroken meditation of God).

Noted ‘bannada veshadhari’ Sadashiva Shettigar would don the role of Panchajana. Some of the other noted artistes who would perform were Thandimane Sripada Bhat, Chapparamane Sridhar Hegde, Kannimane Ganapathi Bhat and Sujayeendra Hande.

The veteran artistes who would be playing the female characters are Deepak Rao Pejavar, Shashikantha Shetty Karkala and Neelkodu Shankara Hegde.

The ‘bhagawathas’ (singers) who would take part would include Raghavendra Achar, whose singing reminds one the singing of doyen of Yakshagana late Kalinga Navada, Ravichandra Kannadikatte and Prasanna Bhat Balkal.

There would be a mix of professional and amateur artistes in the shows.