BANGALORE: Seven-year-old, Anish, danced and jumped with vigour. Playing the lead role in the Yakshagana "Veera Vrushasena Prasanga," he was successful in conveying the message to students that nothing is impossible for youth to achieve if there is a drive to accomplish a task.

This play gave a perfect start to "Janapada Yuvajanotsava," organised by the Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana Academy to generate interest among college students of the city to preserve cultural values. The first of the six-day youth festival was organised on the Surana College campus on Tuesday.

The young Anish, who was one among the five-member children's troupe of the city-based Karnataka Kaladarshini, moved the students with heart rendering portrayal of Vrushasena, the son of Karna in the epic Mahabharata.

The play was about Vrushasena's role in the Kurukshetra battle. He enters the battle with a pledge to his mother that he will do a thing that will be remembered for a long time. The young Vrushasena defeats Bheema and then faces Arjuna. After fighting hard, Vrushasena dies on the battlefield.

With his effective dialogues and dances, Anish sent out a message that age is not a concern when working for a cause. This was to substantiate the point of writer Baragur Ramachandrappa that youth need to be attracted in the work of preservation and extension of country's cultural identity.

Inaugurating the Yuvajanotsava, Mr. Ramachandrappa said "Janapada" has all the ingredients of society and its values. Being a combination of literature, art, and acting, it has been attracting crowds. But, in the recent times, Janapada, under the influence of market forces, was losing its effect. The Yakshagana Academy need to work towards attracting youth and preserve our cultural values. The Janapada artists should also come out of the market influence, he added.

Concern

Chairman of the Janapada Academy Keremane Shambu Hegde said lack of interest of people in Janapada was a cause of concern. It was only by such festivals that the academy hopes to create awareness about the necessity to preserve Janapada, which originates from society.

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