Please note that participants will be required to walk around 2 km in and around the gardens.
Yakshagana is a folk art of coastal Karnataka, supported and popularized mainly by temples over the years. Today, it enjoys international recognition. Stories for the field drama are chosen mainly from Ramayana and Mahabharatha and the characters have special costumes and typical headgears. The Bhagavatha who sings the story line controls the play. The actors express the emotions and dance with skill to the accompaniment of Maddala and Chende.
There are 2 styles recognized for their identity. The Thenku thittu (Southern style) and Badagu thittu (Northern style), which are easily recognized by the dressers and the style of dance.
In this cultural event, the act will be performed in the Northern style, by a professional group called Saligrama Mela. The play enacted is ABHIMANYU KALAGA or CHAKRAVYUHA from Mahabharatha.
The actors are
Actors:
Manager: Sri P.Kishan Hegde Palli
The Story Line:
Abhimanyu Kalaga (Chakravyuha)
In the Mahabharatha war, fought between Kouravas and Pandavas at Kurukshetra, Bhishma the first senapathi of the Kouravas retires from the war after 10 days, choosing to lie on a bed of arrows. Dronacharya was crowned as the next senapathi. Duryodhana asks for a victory. Drona agrees but wants Krishna and Arjuna to be sent away, and to be engaged in a separate battle with Samasapthakas. Duryodhana agrees. Drona organizes the army in the ‘Chakravyuha’ system. Only Drona, Krishna and Arjuna know how to enter and come out of this in a war. Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu knows how to enter but does not know how to come out of it.
Pandavas are worried now. Who will fight the war with Krishna and Arjuna away? Dharmaraja is in a dilemma. What should be done to find a person to break the ‘Chakravyuha’?
Abhimanyu comes to know of this and compels his uncle Dharmaraja to permit him to proceed to the battlefield. Dharmaraja refuses at first because of Abhimanyu’s age but later reluctantly agrees to send him with Bhima and others for support. After meeting his worried mother Subhadra and consoling her, Abhimanyu goes to the war front to enter the ‘Chakravyuha’
Jayadratha was posted at the entry to prevent anybody from breaking the vyuha. Abhimanyu defeats Jayadratha and succeeds in entering ‘Chakravyuha’ but Jayadratha successfully prevents others accompanying him from entering the ‘Chakravyuha’.
Once in, Abhimanyu defeats all those who encounter him. Drona, Karna, Korava and others miserably fail to contain him. Drona is worried that Abhimanyu would annihilate the entire army and none in their camp can stop him. He orders Karna to cut Abhimanyu’s bow from behind, while all of them engage him in front. Karna opposes this cheating but finally agrees to obey the orders.
Together all the great warriors join to fight the unaccompanied Abhimanyu in the ‘Chakravyuha’. To his surprise, Abhimanyu, while fighting, notices the mischief of somebody cutting his bow and turning back asks Karna “who taught you this cheating”.
The bow gone, Abhimanyu fights fearlessly with other weapons facing all the opponents. Together, all of them join to kill the lonely Abhimanyu in ‘Chakravyuha’.
The performance will showcase the undaunted Abhimanyu’s great fight in ‘Chakravyuha’
Incidentally, this is the Golden Jubilee year of Sri Guruprasadhitha Yakshagana Mandali, Saligrama. Their services and efforts to keep the traditional values of the folk art are greatly appreciated.