Yakshagana by Sri Durgaparameshwari Yakshagana Kala Mandali

The DVD on Yakshagana from Invis Multimedia has the Yakshagana troupe Malla Sri Durgaparameshwari Yakshagana Kala Mandali performing the story of Kamsa, the King of Madhura. The evil Kamsa tries in vain to kill Lord Krishna, when he was a child, who according to prediction is destined to kill Kamsa. The dance drama revolves around this main story with instances of Krishna’s pranks with gopikas (milk maidens).

Yakshagana or the music of the celestial beings is a 400-year-old dance opera, hailing from the coastal strip of Karnataka in South India. This traditional theatre form selects an episode from Ramayana or Mahabharata and combines dance, music, oration, costume, make-up and stage technique with a distinct style of its own. Yakshagana is usually performed in open air at night, in paddy fields and village squares.