How a 15-year-old is spreading a 500-year-old art form in Karnataka

Tulasi Raghavendra Hegde
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Yakshagana is a traditional Indian dance-drama that features music, dialogue and elaborate costumes. With origins in the 16th Century, it is popular in Karnataka.

Tulasi Raghvendra Hegde might be just 15, but she already knows a thing or two about this art form. Initiated into it when she was three, Tulasi has already performed more than 800 shows across India, bagged more than 40 awards from leading cultural institutions, besides impressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Her latest felicitation was in Chennai, where she was given the Young Achiever Award 2024 by the Rotary Club of Madras East. “It motivates me. These are indicators that I am on the right path,” says Tulasi, over a phone call from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka.

Right lines

Tulasi, born in December 2009, listened to Yakshagana verses while she was in her mother’s (poet Gayatri Raghavendra) womb. “When I used to cry as a baby, my mom would recite verses to put me to sleep. I grew up listening to it,” recalls Tulasi.

Later, when she was old enough to attend school, she would sometimes stay up all night watching performances, and gradually became interested to become a performer.

So, what drew her to this particular art form? “It had acting, singing, dancing and speaking… it has all these elements. There’s also the colourful clothes. All this was very attractive to me.”

Tulasi Raghavendra Hegde
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Tulasi, currently in Class X, has, apart from her studies, a packed schedule that involves performing Yakshagana in several locations, predominantly in Karnataka. “Before any performance, the make-up usually takes about two hours. In that time, I listen to the songs that will be played, which helps me prepare and get in shape for the performance,” says Tulasi, adding that the costume weighs almost 15 kilograms.

While she usually performs to stories relating to lord Krishna’s childhood, this solo performer also concentrates on spreading the message of world peace through her work. “These acts also showcase the richness of our culture. Yakshagana, I believe, takes us to our roots.”

Tulasi performs to songs in Kannada and urges people to follow performances in order to understand the culture and language better. “All the words used in Yakshagana are pure Kannada words. No other language features in it. Following this art form also helps Kannada thrive,” she says.

Tulasi has still not decided what subjects she wants to pursue in high school and college, but she is determined on one thing: that her tryst with Yakshagana will continue. “I hope to perform it till my last breath.” And this statement, for a 15-year-old, stems from some experiences on stage. “After some performances, audiences in Uttara Kannada want to hug me. Some even fall at my feet, thinking that I am Lord Krishna. Those moments are very touching.”