Hosthota Manjunath Bhagavatha, Margoli Govinda Seregar, Sampaje Sheenappa Rai and Leelavathi Baipadithaya have been selected for the Yakshamangala Award 2015.
The award is instituted by Dr P Dayananda Pai and P Sathish Pai Yakshagana Study Centre of Mangalore University. The Yakshamangala award includes a cash prize of Rs 25,000 and citation.
A press release from the Yakshagana Study Centre Director Prof Chinnappa Gowda said that a selection committee, led by Yakshagana exponent Prof M L Samaga, Prof Padekallu Vishnu Bhat and Study Centre Director, recommended the names of the awardees unanimously.
Dr Mohan Kuntara’s ‘Yakshagana Sthityanthara’ has been selected for the Yakshamangala Book Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 along with a citation.
About awardees
Hosthota Manjunath Bhagavatha has been involved in Yakshagana work for the last three decades, and has also contributed to the field of Yakshagana by carrying out research and writing prasangas. He has organised several Yakshagana study camps for children, women and visually challenged people. He has written over 250 Yakshagana prasangas.
He had received Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy, Karnataka Rajyotsava award, Parthisubba Prashasthi and Janapada Academy special award.
Margoli Govinda Seregar is a senior artiste in Badaguthittu Yakshagana. He entered into the world of Yakshagana when he was 13 years old. He learnt the art from Guru Veerabhadranayaka and Kokkarne Narasimha Kamthiya. He is known for playing female characters – a ‘sthree veshadhari.’
He has played the characters of Sridevi, Meenakshi, Draupadi, Shashiprabhe, Chitrangade, Prameele, Madanakshi and Kanthimathi. As an artiste, he has won Karnataka Janapada mathu Yakshagana Academy Award, Karkala Srinivas Udupa Prashasti and Dr B B Shetty Prashasti, among others.
Sampaje Sheenappa Rai is one of the senior artistes in Thenkuthittu Yakshagana. He learnt the art of ‘arthagarike’ from his father and dance movements of Yakshagana from Kumble Kannan.
He is known for giving an artistic look for Yakshagana. He has worked with the Ira Sri Somanatheshwara Kundavu Mela, Venoor Mela, Iruvailu Mela, Saukooru Mela, Sri Kateel Durgaparameshwari Yakshagana Mandali, Sri Edaneeru Mela, Sri Ramachandra Kripaposhitha Yakshagana Mandali and others for the last 60 years.
He is especially known for his presentation of Yakshagana characters of Devendra, Karna, Arjuna, Hiranyaksha, Daksha, Rakthabeejasura, Indrajithu, Bhanukopa, Shishupala, Karthaveerya, Bheema and Mahishasura. He has won Karnataka Yakshagana Bayalata Academy honorary Award, district Rajyotsava Award, Keelaru Gopalakrishnayya Prathishtana Award, Kuriya Vittalashastri Yakshagana Prathishtana Award.
Leelavathi Baipadithaya is known for her Bhagavathike in Yakshagana. She has served the field of Yakshagana for the last 30 years. She learnt music from Madhoor Padmanabha Saralaya and Bhagavathike from her husband K Harinarayana Baipadithaya.
She was a Bhagavatha in the Puttur Mela, Subrahmanya Mela, Aruva Mela, Kumble Mela, and Bappanadu Mela of Yakshagana. She has trained others in Bhagavathike as well.
She was bestowed with Rani Abbakka Puraskara, Yakshaprameela Prashasti, Agari Prashasti and Rama Ganiga award.
Dr Mohan Kuntara’s ‘Yakshagana Sthityanthara’ has been selected for the Yakshamangala Book Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 along with a citation.
In his book ‘Yakshagana Sthityanthara’, Dr Mohan Kuntar has written 23 articles on Yakshagana and its concept. The book touches on cultural background, arthagarike and experiments in the field of Yakshagana, among other topics. The book gives a wider view of Yakshagana.
The awards will be presented at a programme at Mangalore University on November 7 at 3 pm, said Prof Chinnappa Gowda.
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