- Region
- Southern Karnataka (Mandya, Hassan, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural)
- Occasion
- Village temple festivals (jatre)
- Performed by
- Men from traditional communities
What it is
In the villages of Mandya, Hassan, Mysuru, Tumakuru and the Bengaluru countryside, each goddess is believed to have an attendant spirit called Soma who protects the community from disease and disaster. During the jatre, the yearly temple festival, performers wearing the Soma masks dance in procession, and their movements are an offering to the deity. Songs praising the goddess accompany the dance.
Masks and costume
The most eye-catching part is the headgear. A triangular frame of cane, called the banka, is fixed above the mask and wrapped in brightly coloured saris, so the whole piece can rise to about three times the size of the dancer's head. The wooden masks are usually painted in strong reds, yellows and blues. Dancers wear brass or silver chest plates and ankle bells that add to the rhythm.
- Banka: cane frame for the headgear
- Wooden masks in red, yellow or blue
- Brass or silver chest bands
- Ankle bells
- Drums and wind instruments
Who performs it
Traditionally the dance is performed only by men, drawn from communities such as the Kuruba, Besta, Okkaliga and Lingayat. Skills are passed down within families, and performers often observe fasting and other rules before the festival. As with many village arts, fewer young people now take it up, and cultural bodies have begun recording and staging it at folk festivals.
Where and when to see it
Village temple fairs are the best occasions, since the dance is part of the worship there. Performances also appear at state events such as the Mysuru Dasara procession and folk festivals in Bengaluru. Dates vary by village, so ask locally or let us check for fairs along your route in southern Karnataka.
Also nearby
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