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JANAPRIYA YAKSHAGANA KALA MANDAL, MUMBAI

 
 
 




Established :  In the year  1955 by Some of the GSB art loving youths  headed by Shri Kumble Pundalik Nayak (also known as Shri P.M.Nayak) and Shri S.Venkatesh Mallya, with the active support of  Shri A.Rama Nayak, of Udupi Hotel fame in Mumbai. Inaugurated  in 1956 by: H.H.Shrimat Sudhindra Tirth Swamiji of Shri Kashi Math Samsthan, who was kind enough to name it as Janapriya Yakshagana Kala Mandal, Mumbai. Their first performance was Jarasandha Vadhe.

 

 

 



H.H.Shri Kashi Math blessing the troupe

Address: Post office Compound, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Kurla West, Mumbai-400 070 

Working Hours: Every Wednesday between 6.30 P.M. to 9.00 P.M.when classess in Yakshagana are also held.

Contact Persons: Shri Anandraya N. Kini,

Phone:5670937 and Shri M.Sadashiva Kamath, Phone: 8878718 and /or 8879547


What is Yakshagana?

Yakshagana is a dance drama with the accompaniment of music with a drum called chende, big cymbals called chakratala, gong called jagate and the harmonium. It is  popularly known as Bayalata   also because it is staged in the open paddy fields in villages  after the harvest    over. It is a folk dance peculiar to Kanara Districts, presented partly in the form of dance, partly in dialogues delivered  extempore in prose by the artistes, the story called the “prasanga” being  rendered musically stanza by stanza,  part by part by Bhagwat,  the director of the drama. Added to the dance and music which has its own rhythm and rhyme, will be the colourful make up and costumes with gorgeous head-gears and crowns. On the whole it is a bizarre show to convey the 

 

 

 

 

 

A scene from Ramayana : Shri Rama’s coronation.  

message of our scriptures. The official language of this folkdance  is Kannada though now Konkani and Tulu dramas are also staged.

Organisation:  

From the beginning, Janapriya is not a troupe of professionals but office-goers and art lovers, who, at the most can be called as free-lancers devoting their spare time for preservation and propagation of this unique performing art among Gowd Saraswats.

They have formed an association to run on democratic principles. They have elected office bearers and presently there are 26 member-artistes.Since the beginning they have given more than 750 performances of which Konkani dramas alone exceed 500. Years ago they had also tried once or twice to give performance in English also but that experiment in English did not catch up. The most popular plays of this troupe are .Kamsa Vadhe, 2.Vali Moksha, 3.Mahishasura Vadhe—Devi Mahatme and 4.Bhishma Arjuna Kalaga and in Konkani, Sita Kalyan and Shri Krishna Guru Dakshine.

Address :  YAKSHAGANA   KALA   MANDAL, Post Office Compound, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Kurla West, Mumbai-400 070