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.

Delivering the keynote address, Study Centre Director Dhananjaya Kumble said Yakshagana’s Chouki has its own discipline, system and symbolic meaning. He noted that a study of the Chouki will reveal the sanctity of the art form and the importance of its social integration.

Swastika School President Raghavendra Holla said only by understanding ancient traditions can one truly serve society. He added that Yakshagana is deeply intertwined with the day-to-day activities of society.

NSS Officer Bhagyashree, Study Centre Research Oficer Satish Konaje, and Business School Vice-Principal Vidyalakshmi Shetty were present.

Published - August 06, 2026 01:58 pm IST