About Documentation

Yakshagana Badagu Thittu – Northern Style (Unlike the Thenku Thittu or the Southern Style) has strong traits of performance both regionally and individually. Hence the Yakshagana in and around Udupi and Kundapur is usually referred to as Badagu (North) and the Yakshagana of Uttara Kannada district as Bada-Badagu (North of North).

It has been observed and documented by researchers and scholars that unequivocally Karki Yakshagana traditional style is the one and only original style of Uttara Kannada and is the oldest and representative of Bada-badagu Thittu. Karki Style and Mela have a known long history of 9 generations (around over 200 years). A few variations of Bada-Badagu style emerged over a period of time as a result of self-made changes and adoption of traits of Udupi-Kundapur style of Badagu. These were identified as individual styles like Gharanas in Hindustani music. The public usually identifies the individual styles by the family name of the exponent. (Ex.: Keremane Shivarama Hegde style as Keremane style). However original Karki style continued and identified as Hiriya Paramayya Hasyagar’s style which is also known as Hasyagar’s style or simply Karki style (Family and Regional name).

Karki style has no followers in the younger generation and so has been in decline. We found the main three surviving artists of the style i.e., Krishna Hasyagar, Narayana Hasyagar and Satya Hasyagar who were aged above 70 years at that time.

We also found that the Karki style is fully endorsed by the Veterans in Yakshagana like Hiriyadaka Gopala Rao, Bannanje Sanjeeva Suvarna, Raghava Nambiyar. The inabilities (due to age factor) of the surviving artists to perform a full-fledged Prasanga constrained us to document whatever sequences they could manage. To make up for the lacunae, we have also documented the discussion with a wide panel of experts like Raghava Nambiar, Hiriyadka Gopal Rao, Bannanje Sanjeeva Suvarna, G.K. Hegde, G.S. Hegde, G.L. Hegde, Devu Hanehalli, Manohara Kunder etc. The interviews also shed light on past history and glory of old Karki Yakshagana Tradition.

(Documented on 8 & 9 January 2005)

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Yakshagana - Karki Style and Heritage Documentation Project 2015 by Sanchi Foundation, Bengaluru is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Sanchi Foundation believes in community participation in taking this project to next level. To begin with, we would like to translate the subtitles to all the plays in all possible languages. So if you are willing to help us in this project, please get in touch with us.

Chapters from Yakshagana - Karki Style and Heritage

(Links will open the Youtube URL in a different window)

We thank

All who helped this project Directly and indirectly

Special Thanks

Devotees and administration of Sri Karikana Parameshwari Temple | (Karikana, Honnavara U.K)) | Subramanya Bhat (Head priest) | and group of priests (Karikana Parameshwari Temple) | Dr. Mahalinga Bhat, Mangalore | Dr. H.S. Mohan Sagara | Bhagavatha Gopalakrishna Bhat, Jogimane

Characters – Actor

Krishna, Arjuna, Babruvahana – Karki Narayana Hasyagara | Kimmira, Lankini – Karki Krishna Hasyagara | Hanumantha, Shabara Karki Satya Hasyagara | Jambavantha, Bheema – Padmanabha D. Bhat, Shiruru | Shabari, Sakhi – 1 – Nilkodu Ganapathi Hegade, Kumta | Sakhi – Kumara Krishna Hegde, Harikeri | Tere – Gopala Krishna Shambhu Bhat, Kadatoka | Tere – Gajanana Parameshwara Bhat, Karki | Makeup – Mururu Ganapathi Hegde

Accompaniment

Bhagavathike – Gopalakrishna Bhat, Jogimane | Maddale – Mahabaleshawara Bhat, Dharmashala | Chande – Gajanana Bhandari, Holagadde | Shruti – Rajesh Bhat, Kollur | Background singing – Krishna Bhagavata, Kadatoka | Narration – Dr. G.L Hegde

Experts in discussion

Dr. Raghava Nambiyar | Hiriyadka Gopala Rao | Dr. G.S. Hegde | Dr. G.L Hegde | Bannanje Sanjeeva Suvarna | Devu Hanehalli

Sanchi Foundation Documentation team

Camera – Shivaram, Uttam, Chetan, Abhaya Simha | Assistants – Nirin Pilar, Sandeep | Driver – Prashant Bekal | Outdoor unit – CAD media, Mangalore | Editing – Abhijeet Deshpande | Vision Mixing – Austin Pinto | Local co-ordination – Ganesh Krishna (G.K) Hegde, Harikeri | Documentation director – Abhaya Simha

Concept and Produced by

Vidya M and Manohara Upadhya | Devaki G.A and Ashoka Vardhana G.N

Sanchi Foundation

Sanchi Foundation (R) has joined forces with Ninasam for this documentation project. Sanchi  Foundation is a not for profit organization working for the documentation of audio-visual heritage. Sanchi Foundation has a vast experience in audio-visual documentation.

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