<p>Renowned Thenkuthittu Yakshagana Bhagavatha Padyana Ganapathi Bhat passed away due to a cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning. He was 66.</p>.<p>He is survived by his wife and two sons.</p>.<p>Hailing from a family of Yakshagana artistes, his father Tirumaleshwar Bhat was a maddale player while his grandfather Puttu Narayana was also a famous bhagavatha. He learned ‘bhagavathike’ from late Mambady Narayana Bhagavatha at an early age and entered the Yakshagana world at the age of 15.</p>.<p>A leading bhagavatha of Tenkuthittu style of Yakshagana, he had served Yakshagana melas like Chowdeshwari, Kundavu, Surathkal, Mangaladevi, Edneer, Hosanagara and Hanumagiri for nearly five decades. </p>.<p>He had a hold over Tulu and Kannada languages and also composed new Yakshagana songs.</p>.<p>Padyana Ganapathi Bhat gave his voice to over 1,500 Yakshagana related CDs. He performed in foreign countries and other major cities in India.</p>.<p>He is a recipient of Dakshina Kannada Rajyotsava award, Malpe Shankaranarayana Samaga Prashasthi among others. He won the title of ‘Yaksharathna’.</p>.<p>Udupi Yakshagana Kalaranga President Gangadhar Rao and Secretary Murali Kadekar have condoled the death. </p>
<p>Renowned Thenkuthittu Yakshagana Bhagavatha Padyana Ganapathi Bhat passed away due to a cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning. He was 66.</p>.<p>He is survived by his wife and two sons.</p>.<p>Hailing from a family of Yakshagana artistes, his father Tirumaleshwar Bhat was a maddale player while his grandfather Puttu Narayana was also a famous bhagavatha. He learned ‘bhagavathike’ from late Mambady Narayana Bhagavatha at an early age and entered the Yakshagana world at the age of 15.</p>.<p>A leading bhagavatha of Tenkuthittu style of Yakshagana, he had served Yakshagana melas like Chowdeshwari, Kundavu, Surathkal, Mangaladevi, Edneer, Hosanagara and Hanumagiri for nearly five decades. </p>.<p>He had a hold over Tulu and Kannada languages and also composed new Yakshagana songs.</p>.<p>Padyana Ganapathi Bhat gave his voice to over 1,500 Yakshagana related CDs. He performed in foreign countries and other major cities in India.</p>.<p>He is a recipient of Dakshina Kannada Rajyotsava award, Malpe Shankaranarayana Samaga Prashasthi among others. He won the title of ‘Yaksharathna’.</p>.<p>Udupi Yakshagana Kalaranga President Gangadhar Rao and Secretary Murali Kadekar have condoled the death. </p>
