Five veteran sculptors, including Shankaracharya Kammar, R. Puttaraju, Hanumanthrao Gaekwad, Nirupadappa Badiger and Ganesh L. Bhat, were awarded the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy honorary awards at a function on the outskirts of Kalaburagi on Friday evening.
The former Railway Minister and Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge paid them rich tributes.. He said that this form of art was one of the toughest and difficult to learn and practise and society needed to support sculptors and encourage them to keep alive this art. Mr. Kharge, who also honoured sculptors from different parts of the State who took part in a 10-day art camp in the Buddha Vihar, said that it was good to note that the youngsters were coming forward now to keep alive this art.
Senior artiste and the former president of the Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy V.G. Andani and president of academy Mahadevappa Sham Bulingappa Shilpi also spoke.
