Yakshagana means “songs of a Yaksha” a demi-god.

This is a very entertaining folk theatre that has music, dance and dialogues. Usually it is based on the Puranas or epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and is performed at dusk. The actors wear elaborate costume and make-up, which is an art in itself. The lively performance has background music played live by the musicians, a chief musician who narrates and holds the flow of the story while the dancers enact the characters and deliver the dialogues, which are most of the time impromptu.