Pics: Ranjan Shirva
Daijiworld Media Network: Udupi (NP)
Udupi, Apr 26: The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, in association with the department of Kannada and culture, with help of Nirantar Udyavar and Parichaya Pambur successfully organized its Honorary Awards 2025 and Book Awards 2025 ceremony at the open grounds of St Francis Xavier Church, Udyavar. The event witnessed a large gathering of literature lovers, artists, and members of the Konkani community.
During the ceremony, the Honorary Awards 2025 were presented to eminent personalities for their outstanding contributions. In the field of Konkani literature, the award was conferred on Ronald Roach casica, Ramadas Dattatreya Gulwadi was honoured in the field of Konkani theatre, Sairu (Muralidhar) Puttu Naika received recognition in the folk category.
The 2025 Book Awards have been conferred on Andrew L D’Cunha for ‘Ujwadache Vengent’ in the Konkani Poetry category, Roshan Melky Sequeira for ‘Konkani Circus’ in the Konkani Essays category, and Richard Alvares for ‘Fithuri’ in the Konkani Short Stories category.
The event was inaugurated by Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop emeritus of the Udupi diocese. Addressing the gathering, he highlighted the declining influence of regional languages in the face of global and international languages. However, he praised the Academy for its dedicated efforts in preserving and promoting the Konkani language.
He also stated that the Academy has been acting as a guiding light for the language and has provided significant recognition to poets and writers. He urged the community not to let Konkani become a relic of the past and encouraged parents to inspire their children to speak the language with pride. He also emphasized the importance of promoting Konkani literature through social media platforms. While acknowledging the necessity of learning global languages, he stressed that Konkani remains a vital part of cultural identity.
The event also featured vibrant cultural performances that added colour to the evening. Traditional dances of the Siddi, Kudubi, and Kharvi communities were performed by various artists, showcasing the rich diversity of local culture.
A lively brass band performance by sunshine brass band Frankie D’Souza and team, along with the Konkani musical presentation ‘Rasamanjari’ by Ivan Pereira and group, entertained the audience.
The event witnessed the presence of Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop emeritus of the Udupi diocese ; Fr Anil D'Souza, parish priest, St Francis Xavier Church, Udyavar; Fr Charles Menezes, parish priest, Mother Of Sorrows Church, Udupi; Joachim Stany Alvares, president of Konkani Sahitya Academy; Kaup MLA, Suresh Shetty Gurme; Dr Prof Mohammed Rafiq, director, Beach Healing Home, Hooda, Udupi; members of association Naveen Lobo, Ronald, Sapna Crasta, Sunil Siddi, Mamdu Ibrahim, and Dayanand Madkekar.
The programme was presided over by Joachim Stany Alvares, president of the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi, who also delivered the welcome address. The event was compered by Prakash Noor, trustee of Pambur, Steevan Colaco and Nelisha D’Souza.