Yakshagana is a folk dance-drama very popular in Mangalore and many other districts of Karnataka and Kerala. It literally means ‘the song of the Yaksha (spirit)’. It was originally a ballad singing art form and has now converted into a combination of music, dance and dialogues. Stories of Hindu epics are narrated by songs and dialogues, accompanied by traditional musical instruments, and the actors with costumes of the particular characters dance and act on the stage. It is performed throughout the night.