page_title: Sirsi, Karnataka
section_title: Art and culture
hierarchical_section_title: Sirsi, Karnataka / Art and culture
caption_attribution_description: English: Bedara Vesha
context_page_description: Sirsi is a city and hilly region in Uttara Kannada District in Indian state of Karnataka. Sirsi was also known as Kalyanapattana during the Sonda Dynasty. Sirsi is also known as "Gate way of Malenadu" or "ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನ ಹೆಬ್ಬಾಗಿಲು" in Kannada or "Gateway of Western Ghats".
  Sirsi is a tourist destination with a population of 155,079. It is the largest city, a main commercial centre and a business hub in Malenadu. The city is surrounded by forest, and the region has a number of waterfalls. The main businesses around the city are mostly subsistence and agriculture-based. Adike is the primary crop grown in the villages that surround the city, making it one of the major trading centres for areca nut. The region is also known for spices such as cardamom, pepper, betel leaves, and vanilla. The major food crop is paddy.
context_section_description: Yakshagana is a classical dance drama common to the state of Karnataka mainly in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod district of Kerala. There are several Yakshagana artists in and around Sirsi and it is being regularly played in Sirsi. Traditionally, Yakshaganas used to start late in the night and run entire night.  Bhagavatha along with background musicians who play Chande and Maddale forms himmela. The actors who wear colorful costumes and enact various roles in the story forms Mummela. Yakshagana is sometimes simply called as Aataā in both Konkani and Kannada (meaning play). Yaksha-gana literally means the song (gana) of a Yaksha. Yakshas were an exotic tribe mentioned in the Sanskrit literature of ancient India.
  In Sirsi, Holi is celebrated with a unique Carnival. Folk dance called "Bedara Vesha" is performed during the nights beginning five days before the actual festival day. The festival is celebrated every alternate year in the town which attracts a large crowd on all the five days from different parts of the India.
  Dollu Kunitha is also another folk dance of Sirsi performed during Bedara Vesha and Marikamba Fair.
caption: Bedara Vesha artist
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