UPSC Express

Consider the below statements about Yakshagana:

It is a classical folk art form of the state of Karnataka.
A Yakshagana performance begins at the twilight hours with the beating of drums for up to a couple of hours before the ‘actors’ get on the stage.
The repertoire of Yakshagana includes music in the Carnatic style, singing and acting a play through the dance, where the recitation is by the actors themselves.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a       1, 2 and 3
b       1 and 2 only
c       1 and 3 only
d       2 only
Explanation:

Solution (b)

Yakshagana is a classical folk art form of the state of Karnataka.

A Yakshagana performance begins at the twilight hours with the beating of drums for up to a couple of hours before the ‘actors’ get on the stage. The actors wear resplendent costumes, head-dresses, and painted faces which they paint themselves.

A performance usually depicts a story from the Hindu epics and puranas. It consists of a narrator who narrates the story in a song-like fashion, backed by musicians playing on traditional musical instruments as the actors dance to the tune, with actions that portray the story as it is being narrated. The actors have a limited dialog during the course of the performance.