Costume, Makeup & Characters

Painted faces, towering crowns and a language of colour.

Yakshagana is an art form of visual power. The costumes and face paintings of the performers are intertwined with the mythological themes they embody, so that, through colour and imagery alone, the inner state of a character is made visible to the audience: peace, courage, anger or wonder.

A Tenkutittu Bannada Vesha demon character in full costume — A Tenkutittu **Bannada Vesha**, the demon role, in towering black-and-red headgear.

A fierce warrior with golden winged headgear — A *raudra* (fierce) warrior framed by golden side-wings.

The face: foundation and chutti

Before a performance begins, artists apply a thick white foundation (safed menje) to the face and outline the cheekbones with chutti, fine borders built up from rice paste. The purpose of face painting is to communicate character at a glance: the fierce warrior, the steadfast hero, the enchanting beauty, or the cruel villain. Breath lines, ivory-white teeth outlines and shining silver accessories all complete the look.

The colour code

In the Tenkutittu style especially, three distinct colour sets distinguish human from divine and demonic characters. The colour a performer wears tells the audience who they are before a word is spoken.

Rajabanna

Red & green

Worn by warriors and noble figures in the tradition of Vishnu, the heroic and the righteous.

Katubanna

Black

The mark of demonic character, the fearsome rakshasa roles that command the night stage.

Streebanna

Green & red

The palette of the female roles, softer, lighter, and worn with delicate ornament.

Crowns & ornament

Crowns (kirita) differ by character type. Heroes wear heart-shaped tiered crowns; kings and revered figures wear arc-shaped, ornamental designs; and the Bannada Vesha demon wears large metallic, branching headpieces that dominate the stage. Elaborate leg ornaments, long green wings or crown-shaped decorations studded with jewels, and gleaming ankle pieces complete the visual splendour.

Vivid Tenkutittu face paint in close-up — The intricate face paint of a Tenkutittu demon, built up line by line.

Performer with radial crown and silver-spiked shoulders — A radial crown and silver-spiked shoulder pieces catch the stage lights.

Stories & characters

Every Yakshagana story, a prasanga, draws from literature and develops its scenes dramatically. Narratives come from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and other Puranas. A Ramayana prasanga might open with the birth events of Dasharatha; a Mahabharata episode might begin from the assembly of Dharmaraya. At the outset, the Raja proclaims the glory of his kingdom, answering the Bhagavata's narrative call through song.

As the prasanga unfolds, the opposing characters (demons, Hanuman, divine beings) make repeated dramatic entrances. The key Bannada Vesha enters with a fierce cry, and the spectacle of his movement beneath a giant painted headpiece is deeply engaging. In the southern style, a curtain tradition heightens such entries: the character hides behind a held cloth, then whirls out into full view.

Through costume and imagery alone, the inner emotions of a character (peace, courage, anger, wonder) are made visible to the audience.