Pompei High School of Mangaluru to perform Yakshagana in Tulu for ’Golden jubilee’

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 20, 2015 :  Students of Pompei High School of Mangaluru are getting ready to perform Tulu Yakshagana on stage, in unique  support to Tulu and on the occasion of golden jubilee celebrations.    The students would perform ‘Yesuchristha Mahathme’, a story based on the Bible. Renowned Yakshagana artiste and Gokarnanatheshwara College Kannada lecturer Dr Dinakar Pachanady is training students on Tulu Yakshagana with the help of the Tulu club of the high school. Training in Yakshagana is being given to 16 students, three days in a week from 7.45 am to 8.45 am, Frank Hillary D’Souza, the Head Master of the school told media.

The Yakshagana performance would be around one and a half hours. Priority has been given to Class eight and nine students. The whole dialogue of the Yakshagana would be in Tulu, practices started in January 2015.  Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy has always supported in this project and has released Rs 30,000 for the Tulu language-related activities, including Yakshagana. The sum would be utilised to give honorarium to the art teachers.

Non-Tulu students :   Dr Dinakar Pachanady – who is in the field of Yakshagana for more than 15 years as an artiste, critic and resource person – said that the students are very enthusiastic about Yakshagana. They would be trained on dialogues, acting, ‘Bannagaarike’ (make-up) and Prasanga (episode) in one year, he said.

Basically a troupe is trained in dance, acting, dialogues and poems. Though the attempt is being done as a part of the golden jubilee celebrations, the school would arrange performances by the same team in other schools as well. Though the team comprises of students from Uttara Kannada, Bagalkot, Davanagere, Mulleriya, Kasaragod and other places, they grasp the subject very rapidly.   Students Amit Kumar and Suresh, who are among the performers, said that they have learnt Kaithala, Jampethala, Pravesha, Ekathala and also Veeragaase from their teacher. Though Yakshagana is new for most of the students, they confidently demonstrate the steps that they have learnt. They are, in addition, curious to learn the dialogues during the October holidays.     The head master said that Pompei High School was founded by Rev Fr T A Lobo on June 1, 1966, on the land donated by H E V Fernandes in memory of his wife Aloysia Mary Lizzie. The school is being run by the Catholic Board of Education with the help of the government aid.

As a part of golden jubilee celebrations, the school will host a Mysuru division-level volleyball tournament in October. A mega health camp will be held for parents and local community people. For Konkani women, competition of singing (Sobhane) and consumer fest under the consumer club of the school. The school will invite more than 2,000 old students and conduct activities for  all.