Chouki Pooje in Yakshagana is Jogi tradition, not priestly one, says scholar
Scholar Raghava Nambiar argues that the Chouki Pooje ritual in Yakshagana is rooted in the Jogi tradition rather than a priestly one. He emphasizes that the art form should prioritize symbolic, sound-oriented performance over realistic acting.
Why it matters
This discussion highlights the ongoing efforts to preserve the traditional integrity of Yakshagana as it transitions into academic and formal study environments.
Yakshagana scholar Raghava Nambiar has said tantra takes precedence over mantra in Chouki Pooje in Yakshagana. Asserting that Chouki Pooje is not a priestly tradition, he said it belongs to the Jogi tradition.
On August 5, he inaugurated a national seminar on ‘Chouki: Form and Features’, organised jointly by Dr. P. Dayanand Pai and P. Satish Pai Yakshagana Study Centre, Mangalore University, and Swastika National Business School, in Mangaluru.
Mr. Nambiar said the priestly system of Chouki Pooje is a recent development. In Yakshagana, remembrance is more important than ritual worship, he said. He further said there is a difference between the body language of Bharatanatyam and the dancing style of Yakshagana. Similarly, acting on stage should not be made overly realistic, like in cinema. Instead, it should be symbolic and sound-oriented, he added.
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