POOJA KUNITHA

A ritualistic dance form in praise of Shakti Devata or Goddess Shakti, Pooja Kunitha is predominantly performed in the Mandya, Chikmagalur and Mysore areas of South Karnataka.  There are two variations of this dance which is always performed in the form of a procession. In the first type, four men carry the idol of the goddess or a kalash (sacred water pot) tied on top of a wooden plate which they carry on their shoulders. The other variation, however, has only one single person carrying the idol or kalash on a plate. Dressed in white dhooti and shirts, the performers smear their foreheads with kumkum (sacred ash) and adorn their feet with anklets (gaggara or bells) as they dance to the rhythm of drums tamates. (percussion instrument) Carrying the  Kalasha  over the head dance shows balancing steps, variety body movements could be seen  and to the rhythmic tune  moves forward and back word or sideways, Sometime  performer himself take the  tamate  (percussion) and rhythmically produce the sounds. Half a dozen or more dancers create a colourful spectacle.    

VEERAGASE

Veeragase is popular folk dance from Karnataka. It is a symbolic presentation of the heroism and valour of Veerabahadhra at the time of Dakshayagna. Its exponents are called Lingadevaru and they perform the dance with religious fervour at festival time especially during the months of Shravana and Kartika. The dancers put on white turban like head gear and wear kavi coloured dhotis, rudrakshamala, nagabharanas and a wooden plaque of Lord Veerabhadra on their chest and smear their forehead ears and eye brows with vibhooti. Sporting an unsheathed sword in the right hand and a wooden plaque of Veerabhadra in the left hand the dancers perform a martial dance to the beat of Karadi and chamel drums.

Suggi Kunitha

Suggi Kunitha is an art form perfected by the "Halakki Vokkaligas" of North Kanara. The "Suggi" is taken out on the occasion of "Kamana Hunnima". The arrangements for this colourful event are elaborate and the headgear of the artistes called "Tura" which looks like birds perched on crop is particularly eye catching. The performers also have a small stick in one hand and brush made of peacock feathers in the other. The suggi procession to the singing and dancing with the background of "Gamate" is greeted in every house with aarthi.

When it returns after its tour on the Kamana Hunnime day Kama is burnt followed by festivities. The Suggi procession is believed to eradicate diseases in the village, bring rains and fulfill the wishes of the people. The Suggi artistes are mostly farmers. The costume here is traditional and colourful to depict the folk tradition.

Yakshagana

A traditional performing art of Karnataka which has travelled the entire globe, Yakshagana or Bayalaata* is one of the most living art traditions in the World .Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form combining dance, music and the actor creates extempore dialogues. The make-up of the performers and their costumes are the chief elements of a Yakshagana performance and has remained in its unique style when compared to other folk theatre forms i.e,  MudalapayaYakshagana and Doddata. It has its own integrating stories from mythologies in  Kannada language, earlier this form was  called as Yakshagana Dashavatara Meela. Northern school (Badagu Tittu) and Southern school (Tenku Tittu)Yakshagana  have very striking difference but both are very colourful in costume and dance, music & dialogue.  Traditional instruments like the jagate, chande, maddale, chakrataala,of southern style where as  northern school   (badagu tittu)  use taala (cymbals)  Chende,Eeru Maddale and Ili Maddale (percussion) for providing the background music in aYakshagana performance. There are about one thousand professional artists and much bigger number of amateurs. Further there are off season shows during the wet season, the anniversary shows, school and college students Yakshagana and of course the Talamaddale performances. All put together, we safely say that Karnataka witnesses about 12,000 Yakshagana performances every year! This theatre tradition reigning in South India has a history of centuries. The Yakshagana of coastal Karnataka is said to be about 400-500 years old.

GARUDI GOMBE

A celebratory dance form which makes use of masks and puppets, Garudi Gombe Kunitha is also popularly known as Garudi Gombe, Tattiraaya and Maanu Bommalu (in Andhra).  Garudi Gombe body is wrapped with colourful costumes of the regional dress. Sometime the replica of the live human theatre  i.e, Yakshagana . The face of the puppet is made out of bamboo basket and applied on paper mache  (paper pulp moulded when wet and painted )with suitable make-up. During the fair and festival procession of the temple the giant sized dolls will be the central attraction to the on lookers. The dolls or giant sized puppets are dummy, huge doll, on manifestation, the whole structure is hollow, permitting a person to get inside to carry the entire structure on his shoulder and dance. Provision is made for the person to see from inside. This kind of processional puppets are also called in different names according to the regions. In Coastal Karnataka this kind of dolls have been called Tattiraaya (tatti  meansbamboo sticks raaya is a suffix; the person who carried bamboo sticks huge doll or puppet). In South Karnataka the same dolls are been called as gaarudi gombe (gaarudi-means magical and gombe means puppet). However the use of the giant-dolls in procession is to make fun and also to ward off the evil spirit. The giant-sized puppets are usually found during the temple festivals and they depict various social characters from Indian folk and classics.  Performance  of dance to the tune of the tamate and dholu or regional folk theatre instruments. The total weight of the each doll usually 10 to 12 kilograms, height remains normally 10 feet to 12 feet. During the procession few performers wear simple masks of different characters and enacts with giant-sized dolls. Putting on disguises like a tiger (hulivesha) or bear (karadi-vesha) and bringing monkeys to dance to the tamers tune are itinerants common to South India.