Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Nov 20: The city-based Yakshagana Kalaranga has released a list of persons it has selected to receive awards being given to veteran Yakshagana artistes. 'Yaksha Degula', a troupe from Bangalore that has been contributing towards making the Yashagana art form popular and richer, has been selected to receive the 'Sri Vishweshateerta' award, which comprises of cash reward of Rs.10,000. Names of those who have won the other nine awards that carry cash component of Rs 5,000 each, are as follows:
Dr B B Shetty Award: Well known Tenkutittu Yakshagana artiste K Govind Bhat has been chosen to receive this award. Bhat, a Rajyotsava award receipient, has been contributing to Yakshagana since the last six decades.
Prof B V Acharya Award: Arate Manjunath, well known 'Stree Vesha' artiste, who got involved with Yakshagana field since he was 11, will get this award. He was a member of the Janapada and Yakshagana Academies. He was also honoured with the Rajyotsava award.
Bhagawat Narnappa Uppoor Award: Airody Rama Ganiga, who participated as the Bhagawat of the experimental Yakshagana performances directed by Shivaram Karant since 1964 will receive this coveted award. He was the first to introduce puppetry in Yakshagana stage and has won the Rajyotsava Award.
Nittoor Sundar Shetty-Mahesh Shetty Award: Gopalakrishna Kurup, background artiste of Tenkutittu Yakshagana field, has been chosen for this award. Kurup is involved with imparting Yakshagana training since the last five decades and has worked as trainer at the Dharmastala Yakshagana Kendra. He is the recipient of Rajyotsava and Kerala Music and Drama Akademi awards.
Ramakrishna-Vadiraj Hebbar Award: Airody Govindappa, renowned performer in Badagutittu Yakshagana, has been selected for this award. Airody was a member of various Melas including Goligaradi, Saligrama, Ira Somanatheshwara, Kanipura, Kumble, Mulky etc., He is a Rajyotsava awardee.
Kota Vaikunta Award: Kokkada Eshwar Bhat, famed for donning female roles in Yakshagana episodes, will be receiving this award. He is in the Yakshagana field since the last four decades.
Airody Rama Ganiga Award: Haradi Annappa Ganiga, well known Bhagawat, has been chosen for this award. He worked as Bhagawat in various Melas including Mandarti, Marnakatte, Kollur and Perdur Melas.
Padar Narasimha Shastri Award: Hadinabala Satya Hegde will receive this award. He is an accomplished artiste and managed Gundubala Mela on his own for 13 years.
H R Kedlaya Award: Tenkutittu Yakshagana stalwart Sanjeev Chowta has been chosen to receive this award. He has served the Yakshagana field for five decades in various Melas.
The awards will be conferred at a function to be held at Poornaprajna Auditorium at 4.30 pm on November 23. Pejawar Math Sri Vishweshateerta Swamiji will hand over the awards, it was informed.
Kalaranga vice president S V Bhat, Gangadhar M Rao, 'Yakshanidhi' vice president S V Udaykumar Shetty and others were present at the press conference.