Kannada Rajyotsava: Meet Mysuru’s inspiring awardees — a para athlete, a civic worker and a folk artiste

Mysuru: It was a special moment for specially-abled Rachana Nagaraju, pourakarmika woman Bhaavakka and folk artist Manchamma to receive Mysuru district-level Kannada Rajyotsava honour among 95 people at Oval Grounds in Mysuru on Saturday.

Locomotor disability (improper growth of limbs) might have limited 17-year-old Rachana's mobility to a wheelchair, but not her spirits. She has won gold medal in para sports at state level and copper medal at national level. There were no bounds for happiness for her mother Bhagya, who literally carried Rachana, who is hardly three feet tall, to the venue along with her father V Nagaraju and sister Ananya. "Physical challenge is not a hurdle. If we make up our mind, we can achieve anything. Besides preparing for second PUC exam, I am also preparing for another national level para sports competition, which will be held at Jaipur," Rachana said.

Bhaavakka, 49, became the first cleanliness warrior/pourakarmika woman serving on temporary basis at Mysuru City Corporation to receive the Rajyotsava honour. Taking off from her routine cleaning job at Bannimantapa, wife of late Shivanna, Bhaavakka had no words to express her happiness. Dressed up in a silk saree, she sat blushing, as her son Avinash took her photograph.

Specially abled Rachana Nagaraj being carried by her mother, sister Ananya joins.

Manchamma, a folk artiste from T Narsipur, wife of late Mahadevaiah, was equally spell bound. Her daughter Aasha, son Somanna who accompanied her, were equally proud to see their mother bagging the honour.