Yakshagana Bhagavat Leelavathi Baipadithaya passes away

Mangaluru: Leelavathi Baipadithaya, who made significant contributions to the world of Yakshagana as the first woman Bhagavat, passed away on Saturday evening. She was 77. She is credited with being the first woman who toured along with professional Yakshagana ‘melas' (touring troupes), which performed all-night shows in the coastal belt.Leelavathi was honoured with the Rajyotsava state award last year. She was known for her melodious voice and performed Bhagavatike in Yakshagana for nearly four decades. She demonstrated remarkable language skills and even completed the Hindi Visharad course. She also honed her proficiency in music and learnt Yakshagana from the renowned Thenkuthittu Yakshagana maddale artist, and her husband Harinarayana Baipadithaya. During a time when girls were often denied the opportunity to witness Yakshagana performances, Leelavathi broke barriers and established herself as a well-known Bhagavat in the Thenkuthittu Yakshagana tradition.Leelavathi also played a vital role in promoting women artistes by imparting knowledge in both Yakshagana and Carnatic music. She was a dedicated teacher at numerous Yakshagana training centres, including those in Dharmasthala, Kateel, Moodbidri, Bajpe, and various other locations. She performed as a professional Yakshagana artiste for 26 years in various troupes. Further, she also served in the field as a guest artiste for more than 17 years.Karnataka Yakshagana Academy honoured Leelavathi with the Academy Award in 2010. The Karnataka govt honoured her as a veteran achiever in the field of Yakshagana in 2012. She is survived by her husband and two sons Avinash Baipadithaya, a journalist and Guruprasad. |
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