MAKKALA YAKSHAGANA

Wednesday, 13 May 2015
GURUNARASIMHA KALYANA MANDIRA, BENGALURU

The occasion was wedding celebrations of Ashwini-Kiran at GuruNarasimha Kalyana Mandira, Bengaluru.... The previous evening was the day for get-together of bride and the groom's party. As most of the assembled people were Yakshagana lovers, a bayalaata was organized by the children of Yakshagana Kendra, Manipal. The prasanga was VEERA ABHIMANYU.

Yakshagana is the leading traditional theatre of Karnataka. It has an unbroken tradition, which goes back to the 15th century. Being removed from the principal seats of power and hidden in the coastal tracts of Karnataka it was one of the last styles of dance drama to attract national attention.Yakshagana brings together stunning costumes, powerful music and imaginatively choreographed dance to create a theatre form that thrills the audience while instructing them in the basics of Indian culture, philosophy and dharma.

VEERA ABHIMANU

After the defeat of Bhishma on the tenth day of the Mahabharata war, Drona is appointed as the commander of the Kaurava armies. Drona proposes to station the Kaurauva forces in a circular formation (chakravyuha) on the next day of the battle. This special formation will be impregnable to anybody except Arjuna. If Arjuna is kept off the battlefield for the day, Drona will be able to capture the other four Pandavas. Pleased with the suggestion, Duryodhana sends the Samasaptakas to keep Arjuna engaged at a distant battlefront.

At the side of the Pandavas, Dharmaraja (Yudhisthira) is worried: who else than Arjuna can break the chakravyuha formation? Then Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu, comes forward and requests Dharmaraja to be chosen as the one who can do so: he learnt the technique of breaking the circular form when he was still inside his mother Subhadra's womb, because he overheard her and Krishna talking about it when she was pregnant of Abhimanyu. Dharmaraja tries to dissuade Abhimanyu from fighting saying that he is too young, but ultimately yields to his nephew's persistent request. Next the young hero goes to Subhadra, asking her for her blessing. Subhadra tries to dissuade Abhimanyu from his mission, but he refuses to listen to her.

Abhimanyu fights his entry into the battleground. He slays Saindhava who is guarding the entrance. Unable to endure the missiles of Abhimanyu, Drona resorts to tricks to defeat him. He instigates Karna to attack Abhimanyu from behind and chop off his hands that hold his bow. Abhimanyu uses the wheels of his chariot as weapons and charges at his enemies. All the prominent leaders of the Kaurava forces—Drona, Karna, Salya, Kaurava, Dushasana, and Saindhava—join hands to attack Abhimanyu. Finally, they succeed in vanquishing him. Abhimanyu is dead. Ashamed of having slain a child in a battle of unequal forces, the crest-fallen Kauravas return to their camps.

Children of makkala yakshagana koota presented the play beautifully, the dance, dialogues and the singing by "Bhagavataru" Satish Kedlaya was superb.

Ashwin-Kiran Wedding Reception