Though the popularity of Yakshagana has crossed confines of its cradle - Dakshina Kannada - and spread its wings not only in other parts of the country but onto the stages of various countries abroad, the Centre is lacking students to learn Yakshagana.

To encourage youngsters to enter the Yakshagana performing stage, a training course is being conducted by the Kendra for a duration of six months. Here budding artistes are trained in the intricacies of this highly demanding Yakshagana.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Dharmasthala Yakshagana supervisor Panduranga said: “the Centre which was started by Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade with a farsighted vision in 1972 along with their another novel event - mass marriage. In the beginning, the Centre had 25 students. Later, it declined to 15. This year we had received 14 applications. Later, there was no positive response from the applicants.”

He said: “In fact, students file their applications before their results are announced. If they pass in the school examination, they continue their education and if they fail, they join Kendra to learn Yakshagana.”

“We need atleast minimum of six students, wherein three can be put into Himmela and three for natya and vice versa.”

He said the yakahagana was taught in Chandranatha basadi in Dharmasthala. Usually, the classes will commence in the month of June and will continue for four and half months. Students were given free food, clothes and hostel facilities. To avoid the students from entering into bad habits such as drinking, the students were given one month training in yoga. Moreover, the classes would commence from 5.30 am to 10 pm.

The centre had one teacher for Himmela and another teacher for ‘natya.’ It was the only Thenkuthittu learning centre in the State.

Artistes
It is heartening to note that many well-known artistes are the products of Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Yakshagana Kala Kendra.

The Kendra has given birth to more than 500 artistes since its inception. Padyana Ganapathy Bhat, Padmanabha, Koragappa Shetty and so on. Moreover, the teachers were also well known artistes like K Govinda Bhat, Kolyuru Ramachandra Rao, Tharanath Balyaya.

Mr Panduranga said “one of the speciality of the Kendra was before the completion of the training, the students would get into any one of the big mela. 99 per cent of them have become artistes. Many are also into theatre.”