Kumar Das, a renowned Hindustani vocalist, will be conferred with the Pandit Puttaraj Award 2016, while Gaanayogi Panchakshar Gawai Award 2016 will be presented to Siddappa Master, a visually impaired Harmonium player from Goolyam, a Kannada-speaking village of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The awards will be presented to mark the celebrations of 149th birth anniversary of Hanagal Kumaraswamy, 124th birth anniversary of Pandit Panchakar Gawai and 102nd birth anniversary of Puttaraj Gawai, being organised by Dr. Puttaraj Kavi Gawai Seva Sangha, in association with the Department of Kannada and Culture, at Joldadarashi Doddanaouda Rangamandir here on Tuesday at 5.30 pm.
Sangha president Bandral Mrutyunjaya Swamy told reporters here on Saturday that the awards carry a purse of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 11,000 respectively, a shawl and citation. To mark the celebrations, around 1,000 saplings would be distributed to be planted.
Dr. Chennasiddarama Panditaradhya Shivacharya of Srishail Peetha, one of the five peethas, and several other swamijis will take part in the celebrations, which will be inaugurated by N. Suryanarayan Reddy, senior Congress leader, and presided over by T.M. Chandrashekaraiah, former Vice Chairman of Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank.
Later, Kumar Das and Harsha Uppar, an upcoming artiste from the city, will perform.
