By Ramya BN, Team Mangalorean

Heading towards modernization, some arts go unrecognized and a few rituals and practices tend to go into oblivion.  In an attempt towards innovation, new art-forms spout and new talents crop up with a Western touch. More and more people seem to lose their belief and interest in those ancient rituals, which were followed by our ancestors. People get no time to follow such rituals as they are being influenced by science and technology of the present generation.
 
But, there are arts that never go unrecognized and there are rituals and practices that are still followed with great ardour, even in this 21st century. One such art is ‘Yakshagana’ which is popular in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga and Kasaragod. A ritual related to Yakshagana that is still followed is ‘Harake aata’, aYakshagana show by a certain troupe or mela being sponsored by a devotee in fulfilment of a vow. The admittance is free to the  public.

He said that the troupe gets more bookings to perform that has enabled the Mandali grow from one mela to 5 melas. But only because of non-availability of artistes it is still working with 5 melas over the past two years.
 
In ‘Harake aata’, prasangas (episodes) like ‘Devi Mahatme’, 'Kateelu Kshetra Mahatme', 'Sridevi Lalitopadhyana', 'Gayatri Mahatme' and many others from Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and Mahabharata are performed. Among them higher preference is found for ‘Devi Mahatme’ story that speaks about Goddess Durga Parameshwari’s beauty and strength, since she is the family deity for a very large number of people in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district and elsewhere.
 
To book a show, a devotee has to pay Rs 18,000 to 20,000 as mela’s ‘Veelya’ - a kind of earnest money payment - and the rest of the arrangements like stage settings, audience set-up and prasadam arrangement will be done according to the devotees' capability in terms of money.
 
Shows are held from November until the following May. In the rainy season, no plays will be performed as it is a time-honoured ritual followed by the artistes to take their anklets off on a certain day in May, called 'Pattanaje'.
 
Devotees' belief in Goddess Devi Durga's strength is such that the artiste who plays Durga Devi’s role himself will be treated like God and given money as if an offering to God.
 
The artiste who plays the role of Devi Durga also has to follow certain rules of abstinence, as has been followed from the olden times, like staying away from non-vegetarian food and alcohol during the six months of performance.
 
Prashant Shetty Nelyadi, the artiste who plays Devi Durga's role in the 5th mela of the Mandali says, “It is through Devi Durga’s blessings that I have got an opportunity to play her role in Yakshagana. My mother, who was keeping ill health for years, is now in good health ever since I started playing Devi’s role. I indeed feel blessed with this role to play and we have not come across any loopholes in the management of the Bhagavata”
 
Along with the arrangements by Mandali themselves for the costumes and ornaments of the role requirements, devotees have also offered gold and silver crown and ornaments for Devi and the same is used during the show.
 
People from far and near throng to witness the ‘Harake aata’ again and again and feel blessed with it.