Aneesh Raghavendra

// off duty · on stage since childhood

ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ

ಯಕ್ಷyaksha · celestial beings+ಗಾನgāna · song

By day I write software.On stage, I perform Yakshagana.

Karnataka's centuries-old theatre of dance, music, dialogue and myth. I've trained since I was a child under Guru Shri Srinivas Sastan, and performed everywhere from temple stages in Karnataka to Kuala Lumpur.

500+
stage shows
6+
major festivals
2
international tours
1
guru, since childhood
Read the story See the gallery
A young Aneesh performing Yakshagana on stage in full costume
an early performance

// the art

What is Yakshagana?

Yakshagana is one of Karnataka's oldest and most vibrant theatre forms. It brings together dance, music, dialogue, acting, elaborate costumes and expressive makeup to tell stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other ancient texts.

There's no script for the speaking parts. The singer narrates the episode in verse, and the actors build their lines live around it. Every show is a little different from the last.

dusk → dawn

Traditional shows run through the whole night.

prasanga

Each show performs one episode from the epics.

anatomy of a performancethe stage from above
Plan of a Yakshagana stage. The stage is a semicircle. At the back, the Bhagavata and the maddale player sit on a table, and the chande player sits on a chair to the left, beside the maddale. The performers dance in the open space in front. The audience sits in curved rows around the stage. Audience Himmela · musicians table chair Mummela · performers

// the journey

From a childhood stage to the world stage

  1. childhood

    First steps on stage

    I started learning Yakshagana as a young child at Karnataka Kala Darshini, under my guru, Guru Shri Srinivas Sastan. Footwork, rhythm and expression, the basics of every show, all came from him.

  2. 2010international

    AKKA Sammelana, United States

    My first international stage: I represented Yakshagana at AKKA Sammelana and performed for the Indian diaspora.

  3. through the years

    Utsavs, temples and big public stages across Karnataka

    I've represented Yakshagana at festivals run by the Government of Karnataka and leading cultural organisations, often in front of very large crowds.

    Hampi UtsavBidar UtsavBangalore HabbaState folk festivalsKarnataka Utsav jubileeChildren's Film Festival

  4. 2021software engineer

    Joined Gale. Kept performing.

    I started my career as a software engineer. Today I'm a Senior Associate in Core Technology.

  5. January 2026official delegation

    Malaysia & Brunei Darussalam, for Karnataka and India

    Selected for an official cultural delegation representing Karnataka and India.

    See the tour

  6. now

    500+

    shows and counting

// world stage

Malaysia & Brunei Darussalam, 2026

In 2026 I was selected for the Karnataka Kala Darshini Yakshagana Group, part of an official international cultural delegation representing Karnataka and India.

9members in the delegation
Official passporttravelled on a government passport
ICCRtour sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations
High Commissionevents coordinated by the High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur
tour stops · plotted to scale● performed
Map of tour stops by latitude and longitude: Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru on the Malay peninsula, and Brunei about 1,480 km east of Kuala Lumpur across the South China Sea. Ipoh Kuala Lumpur×2 performances Johor Bahru Brunei ≈ 1,480 km
  • Kuala Lumpur150 Years of Vande Mataram musical concert
  • Kuala LumpurRepublic Day community reception, High Commission of India
  • IpohCultural exchange programme and performance
  • Johor BahruCultural performance

// recognition

Seen, heard and written about

scholarship · Government of India

CCRT Talent Search Scholarship

Awarded by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It goes to young artists who show exceptional talent and commitment to preserving India's traditional art forms.

print

Featured in newspaper articles about my performances.

television

Performances covered by TV channels.

dignitaries

Appreciated by dignitaries, Matadhipathis and cultural organisations across Karnataka.

heritage

Recognised for helping preserve traditional performing arts.

// curtain call

Keeping it alive.

Yakshagana has lasted for centuries because people keep performing it and keep showing up to watch. Alongside a career in software, I plan to keep doing my part.

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Aneesh as a child in full Yakshagana costume, standing between his mother and father
Where it all began, with my mother and father, my support system from the very first step.In loving memory of my father.