Krishna Parijatha

Krishna Parijatha of Karnataka is a traditional folk theater form that is sometimes considered to be a blend of yakshagana and Byalatta and sometimes as a regional variant of yakshagana. The open air performances make it a Byalatta performance whereas the use of a single narrator akin to the 'Bhagavat', brings it closer to the performance techniques of the yakshagana. Krishna Parijatha is popular in Northern Karnataka. From village squares to open markets, Krishna Parijatha in Karnataka continues to be a popular folk religious theatrical form.

Krishna Parijatha at Karnataka employs traditional themes taken from the extended corpus of Hindu mythology. The tales from Ramayana and Mahabharata are the most commonly employed themes of Karnataka's Krishna Parijatha. The use of make-up is common, as is the elaborate use of music and dance. Both prose and verse forms are used to elucidate the age-old themes. They are extremely enthralling folk-performances usually held at night time. A single narrator sometimes with the help of a clown or Vidushaka hold the narrative key to the performance.

Like most folk forms, Krishna Parijatha, Karnataka uses a very simple plot structure. Even the dialogues and the not infrequent witticism are age-old and shaped by tradition. It is the spontaneity of the actors that make Krishna Parijatha of such a great attraction to the audiences. There are impromptu improvisations which give a separate color to the performance every time they are presented. Because of its vivacity and tradition, the performances of Krishna Parijatha still continue to be extremely popular all across Karnataka.