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Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of Karnataka.
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It is a temple art form that depicts mythological stories and Puranas.
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It is performed with massive headgears, elaborate facial make-up and vibrant costumes and ornaments.
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Usually recited in Kannada, it is also performed in Malayalam as well as Tulu (the dialect of south Karnataka).
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It is performed with percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam, jagatta or chengila (cymbals) and chakratala or elathalam (small cymbals).
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The most popular episodes are from the Mahabharata i.e. Draupadi swayamvar, Subhadra vivah, etc. and from Ramayana i.e. Rajyabhishek, Lav-Kush yuddh, etc.
Related Facts:
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Tulu is a Dravidian language whose speakers are concentrated in the region of Tulu Nadu, which comprises the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka and the northern part of Kasaragod district of Kerala.
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The oldest available inscriptions in Tulu are from the period between 14th to 15th century AD.