Yakshagana or the music of the celestial beings is a 400-year-old dance opera, hailing from the coastal strip of
Karnataka in South India. This traditional theatre form selects an episode from
Ramayana or
Mahabharata and combines dance, music, oration, costume, make-up and stage technique with a distinct style of its own. Yakshagana is usually performed in open air at night, in paddy fields and village squares.