Mangaluru: A heart-touching Yakshagana performance by specially abled children of Saanidhya Residential School & Training Centre lit up Kadri Park in Mangaluru during the institute's annual celebrations. The children staged the episode of 'Varahavatara', winning loud applause from the audience.Yakshagana, the traditional art form of coastal Karnataka, is known for its discipline, strong expressins and years of training. It id often said that mastering Yakshgana requires long practice and dedication. For the past 12 years, students of Saanidhya, located in Shaktinagar, have been consistently performing Yakshagana on stage.Every year, the institute presents a new episode as part of its anniversary event at Kadri Park. Over the years, the children have staged several prasangs, including Gurudakshina, Devi Mahatme, Bhakta Prahlada, Jambavati Kalyana, Bhasmasura Mohini, Lanka Dahana, Shri Krishna Janma Kamsa Vadhe, Shwetakumara Charitre, Jatayu Moksha, Mahishi Moksha, and Nagastra Kumbhakarna Kalaga.This year's presentation, Varahavatara, depicted Lord Vishnu's incarnation as Varaha rescuing Mother Earth. Around 10 to 15 students trained for nearly six months to prepare for the show. The children practised daily under the guidance of teachers who helped them with role understanding, emotional expression, steps and stage movements.A unique feature of the performance is that the dialogues and Bhagavathike are pre-recorded ina studio by skilled artists. The children then perform live on stage according to the recorded voice. Despite this, their expressions, lip movements, gestures, and footwork make it appear as though they are delivering the dialogue themselves.The prasang was directed by amateur artist Sarath Kumar Kadri, with assistant direction by Sujeth Kumar and support from the school staff.Saanidhya's Yakshagana group has also performed at prestigious venues such as Vidhana Soudha and Suttur Math, earning appreciation for their dedication. Dr Vasanth Kumar Shetty, Administrator of Saanidhya School, said the children's success is the result of continuous training and teamwork. Audience member Harsitha said she was impressed by the children's performance and felt they matched professional artists.
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