P. Dayananda Pai and P. Satish Pai Yakshagana Adhyayana Kendra, Mangalore University, has chosen veteran Yakshagana artistes Kumble Sundar Rao and Gode Narayana Hegde for its Yakshamangala Award for 2018-19.
A work of G.S. Bhatta of Sagara ‘Yakshagana Angopanga Samatolana Vichara’ has been selected for the Yakshamangala Book Award.
The Yakshamangala Award carries a purse of ₹25,000, a certificate, and a memento. The book award comprised ₹10,000 in cash and a certificate.
A committee comprising Yakshagana scholars M.L. Samaga, Bottikere Purushottama Poonja, Chandrashekara Damle and Dhananjaya Kumble, the convener of the kendra, has selected the achievers.
The awards will be presented to them at a function on the university campus on March 15 at 2.30 p.m., Mr. Kumble said.
Students of the university will perform ‘Mohini Ekadashi’ and ‘Sudhanwarjuna Kalaga’ episodes later.
Mr. Rao is a well-known artiste of the Tenku Thittu school of Yakshagana. He is the first professional Yakshagana artiste to get elected to Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the erstwhile Surathkal Assembly Constituency in 1994. A recipient of Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and Kerala Kalamandalam Award he was the first chairman of the then Yakshagana Bayalata Academy.
As a professional artiste, he has performed in Surathkal, Ira and Kudlu Yakshagana melas (touring troupes). An orator, his roles as Karna, Bheeshma, Dushyanta, Sanjaya, Pareekshita are well-known.
Mr. Hegde, a doyen of Badagu Thittu School of Yakshagana, has received Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana Academy Award, Ramavitala Award, Udupi Yakshagana Kalaranga Award and the like.
He had performed in Idagunji, Amruteshwari, Perdoor, Mulki and Sirsi Marikamba Yakshagana Melas. Mr. Hegde’s roles such as Kaurava, Ravana, Ruthuparna, Brahma, Arjuna, Keechaka, Damayanti, Prabhavathi, Dakshayini brought him fame.
