Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Nov 3: Yakshagana Kalaranga, which is based in the town and has been striving for Yakshagana art and welfare of Yakshagana artistes, announced its annual awards for the year. The announcement was made by president of Kalaranga, Tallur Shivaram Shetty, and secretary, Murali Kadekar, at a press conference convened at the office of Kalaranga here on Wednesday November 2.
Kadekar revealed that the awards function will be held at the Rajangana of Srikrishna Mutt here from 3 pm to 8.30 pm on November 13.
The prestigious ‘Sri Vishweshateertha Award’ will be conferred on Yakshagana Kalakshetra Udupi, which has been working in the interests of Yakshagana art form since the last six decades. This award comprises cash component of Rs 20,000 and a citation, Murali Kadekar said. The Kalaranga has added two new awards this year, taking the total number of awards to 12.
A new award, instituted in the name o former president of Kalaranga, B Jagajjevanadas Shetty, will be given to Anand Shetty Majjigebail, who is well-known for donning the roles of valiant mythological characters in Badagutittu form of Yakshagana. Vishwanath Shenoy Award goes to Manjeshwar Janardana Jogi, who is popular for his ‘Bannada Veshas’ in Tenkutittu. The names of other awardees are as follows:
Dr B B Shetty Award (Puttur Sridhar Bhandary), Nittur Sundar Shetty-Mahesh Shetty Award (Babu Kudtadka Bajal), Prof B V Acharya Award (Kody Krishna Ganiga), Bhagawat Narnappa Uppoor Award (Krishna Yaji Idagunji, Dashavatari Marvi Ramakrishna Hebbar), Bhagawat Vadiraja Hebbar Award (Avarse Sheena Madiwala), Kota Vaikunaha Award (Pundareekaksha Upadhyaya Udupi), Madiyali Subraya Upadhyaya Award (Halladache Venkataramaiah Moodigere), Airody Rama Ganiga Award (Jamadagni Sheena Naik Jannadi), Padaru Narasimha Shastry Award (Tenkabail Tirumala Shastri, H R Kedlaya Award (Bajpe Deranna).
All these awards carry a citation and cash component of Rs 10,000 each. In addition, P Gopalakrishna, serving for the last 26 years as the treasurer of Kalaranga, has been chosen for ‘Yakshachetana’ Award instituted by Vijayakumar Mudrady, he revealed.
At the awards function, Badagutittu Yakshagana episode, ‘Saindhava Vadhe’ will be staged from 3.00 pm to 5 pm, and awards will be handed over from 5.30 pm onwards. Thereafter, ‘Mahishamardini’ Yakshagana in Tenkutittu style will be performed, Kadekar explained. The awards function will be presided over by entrepreneur, G Shankar. Pejawar Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji will hand over the awards. Paryaya Sri Lskshmivarateertha Swamiji of Shirur Mutt will deliver benedictory address. Karnataka Yakshagana Bayalata Academy president, Prof M L Samaga, will also speak on the occasion.