Veteran Yakshagana artiste Arate Manjunatha died at his house in Gavali village after a prolonged illness near Kundapur on Friday. He was 73. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.
Majunatha is regarded as one of the finest artistes donning the roles of women in both the Tenku and the Badagu Thittu schools of Yakshagana.
Besides a good voice, he was a graceful dancer, known for his acting prowess and powerful dialogue delivery.
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Born in Gulvady village of Kundapur taluk in 1942, his formal education ended at Class 4. He was attracted to Yakshagana at the age of 13 and learnt its basics under the tutelage of Matapady Srinivas Nayak and Veerabhadra Nayak.
In a career spanning five and a half decades, he worked in various Yakshagana melas including Saligrama, Mandarti, Maranakatte, Kamalashile, Keremane, Rajarajeshwari, Surathkal, Mulki, Kollur, Pollali and Kundavu melas.
He had deep knowledge of women characters coming in the Puranas and epics.
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As founder of Ganesha Pravasi Yakshagana Samsthe, he recognised the services of senior Yakshagana artistes and provided guidance to junior Yakshagana artistes.