Yakshagana artiste to be celebrated on 60th birthday

MANGALURU: The 60th birthday of eminent Thenkuthittu Yakshagana Bhagavatha Padyana Ganapathi Bhat will be celebrated during a two-day event from Saturday at Padyana Sambrama at the Town Hall.
During the event, Padyana Abhinandana Samiti, who is organizing the event, will bring out a book on Ganapathi Bhat, which the organisers say will be a treasure trove of information not only on Bhat but also about Yakshagana..
Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, vice-president of the samiti, said that after the formal inauguration of the event by Sharavu Raghavendra Shastri, hereditary trustee of Sharavu Mahaganapathy Temple, Balipa Narayana Bhagavatha will join Ganapathi Bhat, Dinesh Ammannayya and Puthige Raghuram Holla in presenting 'Pada-Pallavi'. This will be followed by 'Padyana Vaibhava', featuring cultural offerings by the Padyana family.
Eminent artistes will then take centre stage to present Yakshagana - Bhanumathi Swayamwara and Agra Pooja. Host of socio-political-religious leaders under the stewardship of D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, will felicitate Padyana Ganapathi Bhat and also release the felicitation book. Curtains will come down on day one of the event with Yakshagana - Maanishada featuring eminent Bhagavathas and Yakshagana artists.
Sunday's action will start off with Yakshagana Talamaddale - Karnaparva featuring eminent Bhagavathas. This will be followed by Yaksha-Gana-Nritya Vaibhava. Sri Keshavananda Bharathi of Edaneeru Math will preside over the valedictory function where the padyana award will be conferred on Agari Raghurama Bhagavatha. Yakshagana 'Raja Yayathi' featuring Padyana Ganapathi Bhat and others will bring down the curtains on the event, he said.