Professional Yakshagana ‘melas’ (troupes) were forced to give up their daily performances mid-way in March owing to COVID-19 and the lockdown restrictions that ensued.
The traditional calendar of these troupes begins in December and ends by May. During this period, they tour different places in coastal and Malnad areas to showcase their performances.
The pandemic has thrown up new challenges, and the managers of the troupes are worried about the performances and preparation for the next season.
They are trying to figure out and address issues regarding audiences for the performances, the crowding of artistes at the ‘chowki’ (green room for Yakshagana performance), and the sharing of costumes and make-up items, among others.
The lockdown has hit various stakeholders associated with Yakshagana and they have incurred losses worth crores. The belt has over 40 professional touring troupes with most of them presenting all-night shows and a few of them performing short duration shows from December to May. he troupes have a minimum of 25 persons to a maximum of 60 persons, including artistes, helpers and others.
P. Kishen Hegde, who managed the four performing troupes of Saligrama, Madamakki, Hiriyadkka and Soukuru in Udupi district, told The Hindu that unless a vaccine is discovered, resuming the ‘tirugata’ (season’s daily tour) will be risky. “This is for the first time the ‘melas’ have been forced to wind up the shows en masse for a pandemic,” he said.
Keremane Shivananda Hegde, who managed the over eight-decade-old Idagunji Mahaganapathi Yakshagana Mandali in Uttara Kannada, said that the pandemic is “an unimaginable setback” to the artistes and others dependent on Yakshagana.
Mr. Hegde, who is the third generation artiste in the famous Keremane family devoted to Yakshagana, said many artistes do not have a life security. “If COVID-19 is not controlled within a year, the future appears bleak.”
