Speaking to mediapersons here, Karnataka Yakshagana Bayalata Academy President Kumble Sunder Rao said the awards will be bestowed on Krishna Thimmayya Hegde Balehadda, Halladi Manjayya Shetty, Shivaram Joghi, Puttur Shivaram Bhandari, Leelavathi Baipadithaya and Begaru Padmanabha Shettygar in Yakshagana category. Siddhalingayya for Mudalapaya, Mallikarjuna Rachappa Mudakavi and K Hussein Sab for Bayalata.
‘Yakshadegula’ from Bangalore has been chosen under the organization category for the award for imparting training in Yakshagana, he added.
He said Kannada and Culture Minister Govind Karajola will give away the awards on the occasion. Higher Education Minister Dr V S Acharya will inaugurate the award ceremony. K S Eshwarappa, MLAs Haladi Srinivas Shetty, Raghupathy Bhat, MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary and others will be chief guests.
A volume on Yakshagana artistes ‘Yakshopasakaru’ will be released by 3rd Finance Commission Implementation Task Force Committee Chairman A G Kodgi on the occasion. The volume has complete details on 300 yakshagana artistes. Yakshagana on the theme ‘Sudarshana Vijaya’ will be staged by well known Thenkuthittu Yakshagana artistes will be staged prior to the award distribution ceremony.
Rao said that to support Yakshagana, the government had set up Yakshagana Bayalata Academy in the state. “My term as a president will conclude within four to five months. Several works have been completed during my period. There are several works needs to be undertaken to promote and support Yakshagana and Bayalata.”