KARIMAYI

The theme of the play is the progress of the destruction of the myths embedded in the life of a village. The drama begins with a murder. Gudsikara, the English-educated man who is influenced by modernization argues that the case should be taken to courts in the city. Whereas the elderly villagers, who see the goddess "KARIMAYI" in every detail of their lives, argue that the case could be settled within the village. As the gulf between the two widens, the relations between individuals crack. An enraged Gudsikara loses his bearing and brings in Basavaraju and Chimna from Belgaum. The villagers look at "KARIMAYI" as the very centre of their lives and the city-bred look at her as a gold- fetching god. These very people become responsible for the destruction of the myth. The playwright employs the Bayalaata (A distinguished form of folk theatre in Karnataka) technique.