Kateelu (Mangalore): The famous Kateelu Mela of Yakshagana artistes playing “Dashavataram” and other episodes all through the year, was inaugurated amidst fanfare and pomp in a rural area of Mangalore, by the uncrowned King of DK and Dharmasthala Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade on Wednesday here in the presence of hereditary priest of the historic Durga Parameshwary Temple, Vasudeva Asranna, Anantha Padmanabha Asranna Teams Manager Kalmadi Deviprasad Shetty CEO Sindhuri Yaksha Bodhini Trust Raghavendra Acharya Bajpe. It is the fifth Team of the Temple in Dashavatara Yakshagana.

At a time when the original founder of all Yakshagana folk art, Parthi Subba of Kumble is remembered in his 100th year in Kumble, the Kateelu Folkart Team is booked for the next 17 years to play.

Addressing the devout gathering after lighting the traditional large lamp (Nandadeepa), Dr. Heggade stated that Yakshagana as a rural art-play has reformed the common people and their lives to live according to traditional trusted moral values, in a meaningful, yet expressive way.
Explaining the development of Yakshagana (literally song of ballads), Dr. Heggade informed that from folk sources, it has drawn its art and music, literary parts and acting to grow all over the world as the rural art of Karnataka and India. While Kerala has its dance forms, coastal Karnataka (DK Udupi) has its music / dance / costumes / acting forms all rolled into one in this magnificent stage play with episodes in it.

The Kateelu and Dharmasthala Teams are booked for next 17 years. When they play the historical themes on stage, one absorbs the greatness of the temple region, gods, history and traditions depicted. People wish to see the plays again and again. They are in no way inferior to our epics and great poetry forms, based on Puranas (old themes)
The preliminary rounds of the Kateelu Mela were gone through on Wednesday. The teams from Kateelu have special traditional behind them. Dr. Heggade stated later on.

Pejawar Seer spoke in appreciation of the services of the Kateelu Mela (team). Manila Kshetra Seer Mohandas Swami was present on the occasion.
Nalinkumar Kateelu, MP and former Minster B. Nagaraja Shetty and Kumble Sunder Rao, DKZP Chief SK. Bhandary were present.