Bayalata Dance
The well versed and creative people of southern Karnataka know different dance forms, and the Bayalata dance is widely enjoyed by them. Yakshagana is also another form of Bayalata. The Puranas and the epic poetries are also included in this dance because through this dance many mythological stories and poetries. The performers dance and act in the performance.
History
The meaning of the word ‘Bayalata’ is the open drama it also means the end of the harvest season. The story of Cennaya and Koti is the most important theme depicted in this dance. This dance shows the deeply rooted importance for the Tulu people of the southern region through the traditional dance. To honor the deities, this dance is performed as it is considered as the imitation of the divine. Sannatas; parijala, doddatas, Yakshagana, and Dasarata are the vividly basic types of the Bayalata dance. There is only a single narrator required, similar to Yakshagana. Men, as well as women, perform this dance and as in Yakshagana, a single narrator narrates the story.
Performance
As this dance is intrigued and fascinated by the mythological epics, it really makes the dance more religious and divine. This dance is performed before the village temple and even on the sandy beach on a stage.
As shown in the Cennaya and Koti tale, the end of the harvest season is displayed in the drama. To enhance the drama, a roof that is covered by matted palm leaves, the bamboo poles garlanded with flowers, plantains, and mango leaves, are used to decorate the stage and the setting. The people of Tulu Nadu hold the story of Cennaya and Koti in the highest regard. The Sutradhar or the narrator narrates the story and the verses from the background. except for the Doddata type of the Bayalata dance, both the men and women participate in the performance.
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