News & Pics: Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (SB)
Mumbai, Feb 28: Litterateur Virupaksha Kulkarni, Pune was bestowed Varadaraja Adya Award for the year 2009 instituted by Karnataka Sangha at Dr M Vishveshwaraiah Memorial Auditorium here recently.
Giving away the award to Kulkarni, Shotgun Entertainment Pvt Ltd chief executive officer Ravi Malik said that the presentation of the award is a great gesture to boost the Marathi-Kannada ties. The sangha has been doing great work by holding various programmes in the metro in order to keep the culture alive, he said.
Theatre personality and singer Arvind Pilgaonkar was the guest of honour. Pilgaonkar felicitated and gave away the cash prize of Rs 11,000, citation and memento to Kulkarni on the occasion. Sangha president Manohar M Kori presided.
Receiving the award, Kulkarni said that politics on the issue of Belgaum has created a divide between Kannadaigas and Marathis. I experienced the backlash as my wife hails from belgaum. However, this prompted me us to take up translation works, which I believe will help strengthen Kannada-Marathi bonding, he said.
Sangha vice-president Bharat Kumar Polipu, honorary secretary Omdas Kannangar and treasurer B G Nayak were present.