Yakshagana’s Academic Journey Begins: Mangalore University Pioneers Formal Curriculum
Mangaluru: In a significant development for the centuries-old traditional art form of Yakshagana, its formal entry into the academic sphere is being hailed as a welcome move by scholars and artistes alike. The Yakshagana Textualisation Workshop, held on August 3 at the S.V.P. Kannada Studies Institute, marked a crucial step towards designing a structured curriculum for the art.
Eminent Yakshagana Bhagavata (lead singer and director) Patla Satish Shetty, who inaugurated the workshop, asserted that introducing a curriculum will not restrict the freedom or style of this traditional art. “It is just a framework,” he clarified, emphasising that the academic structure would serve as a guide rather than a constraint.
“Yakshagana, which is recognised as a rich and devotional art form of our land, will be able to expand across the world if it gains academic recognition through the university. It is the responsibility of all of us to pass on this art form to the next generation in a traditional manner. Let us all strive for the upliftment of Yakshagana,” Shetty said.
The workshop was organised by the Dr. P. Dayananda Pai and P. Satish Pai Yakshagana Study Centre of Mangalore University. The initiative aims to bring academic rigour to a practice that has traditionally been passed down through generations via an “open-air university” system of learning.
University Vice-Chancellor P.L. Dharma, speaking on the occasion, cautioned that any new experiments in Yakshagana must not compromise its fundamental values. “We need to understand that values are what constitute the life of our tradition. It is a very significant development that Yakshagana is gaining an academic dimension at Mangalore University through a special course,” he said.
Dr. Dhananjaya Kumble, Director of the Yakshagana Study Centre, explained that the new curriculum will be designed after carefully studying the nuances of various teaching models. “Yakshagana, which came from the ‘open-air university’ tradition, is now gaining an academic dimension through Mangalore University. A new curriculum will be designed after studying the nuances of various Yakshagana teaching models,” he noted.
The workshop brought together a host of Yakshagana veterans and experts, including former Yakshagana Bayalata Academy president M.L. Samaga, Padmanabha Upadhyaya, Gundmi Sadananda Aithal, A.P. Pathak, Prakash Moodithaya, Panambur Vasudeva Aithal, Sujayindra Hande, N.G. Hegde, Subrahmanya Prasad Mudradi, Rajaram Holla Kairangala, Krishna Prakash Ulithaya, Kaushik Rao Putthige, Mayura Naiga, and Shailesh Teerthahalli.
Yakshagana guru Deevith Kotyan introduced the topic for discussion, while Yakshagana Centre Research Officer Satish Konaje concluded the programme.
Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form popular in coastal Karnataka, combining dance, music, dialogue, and elaborate costumes. Its incorporation into formal academia is expected to help document and preserve the art, while also expanding its reach globally. The Mangalore University initiative represents a bridge between the centuries-old tradition and modern educational structures, ensuring that the art form remains vibrant for future generations.
This move is widely seen as a positive step, as formal academic recognition can provide institutional support, funding, and a systematic framework for training. It also opens doors for research, textual documentation, and cross-cultural exchange, potentially helping Yakshagana gain a global audience. The challenge lies in balancing academic structure with the creative freedom inherent in the art, a concern that the speakers addressed by stressing the importance of preserving its core values.
