Established in 1975 for providing yakshagana performances of good taste to the audience, Yakshagana Kalaranga has become a prestigious NGO in this region, dedicated to the cause of organizing a variety of socio-cultural activities. Yakshagana lovers of Udupi namely Sri AmmunjeNageshNayak, NitturSundaraShetty, MS Krishnan, GV Shenoy, K AnandaGaniga, U Upendra, K VishwajnaShetty and others having common interest founded YaskaganaKalaranga which was inaugurated by literary giant Dr. Kota ShivaramaKarantha; with Dr. BB Shetty as Founder President and Prof. I Narayana as founder secretary. Under the presidentship of Prof. BV Acharya, JagajjeevandasShetty, TallurShivaramaShetty and K Ganesh RaoYakshaganaKalaranga found immense growth.
Presently Sri M GangadharRao leads YK as its president. During the tenure of Sri VishwajnaShetty and SV Bhat as secretaries YK came to be known for its cultural glory and over the last 30 years Sri MuraliKadekar has been handling the anchor of the institution as secretary, shaping it as a committed NGO, taking it to new heights. Initially the art-loving public joined YK as annual members. After satisfying with the functioning of YK, patrons of Yakshagana joined YK as Life Members, Patrons and Grand Patrons.
We are happy to inform you that at present YK has 37 grand patrons, 151 patrons and 954 life members. Being very active, YK has celebrated it decennial, twentieth year and silver jubilee in a meaningful manner. Apart from organizing unique programs, YK has brought out informative souvenirs. The programs that revive yakshagana such as workshops, symposia, strivesha workshops, young bhagvats’ (singers of yakshagana songs) workshops, news-films, lec-dem of yakshagana dance, oddolagalec-dem, competition of childrens’ yakshagana, taalamaddale competition, dondi-light yakshagana, astaavadhaana, gaana-vaividhya, ekavyaktiyakshagana, eka-vyaktitaalamaddale, taalamaddalesaptaha, costumes’ workshop, facial-art (bannagaarike) workshop, special lectures, felicitation to achievers, chintana-sarani, samvaada program are being organized from timt to time.
Monsoon yakshagana: With a view to provide good yakshagana performances to members, YK started organizing day-time yakshaganas. Every year YK confers 20 awards with cash prize of Rs. 20,000 each to senior artists; Talluru Kanaka- Annayya Award with Rs. 40,000 cash award and phalaka (shield) to one special scholar of Yakshagana; and VishweshaTheertha Award with cash prize of Rs. 50,000 to an institution that has been nurchuringyakshagana over the years. So far YK has conferred 355 awards including VishweshaTheertha Awards to 21 institutions that have been striving hard for preserving and promoting yakshagana art form. Apart from these, YakshaganaKalaranga has shown its societal concern through the following wings namely Yakshanidhi, Vidyaposhak and Yakshashikshana the details of which are presented in this website separately.