Yakshagana artists should make use of medical, pension facilities: MA Hegde

Yakshagana artists should make use of medical, pension facilities: MA Hegde

Mangalore Today News Network

Kollur, November 8, 2020: Chairman of the Karnataka Yakshagana Academy M.A. Hegde said on Saturday that Yakshagana artists who have received various State-level awards instituted by the academy are eligible to get medical reimbursement from the government. Many are not aware of it and they should make use of this facility.

He was speaking at a function organised by the academy at Kollur in Udupi district to present its annual Parthi Subba, honorary, and Yakshasiri awards for 2019.

The chairman said that Yakshagana artists in general are also eligible to get monthly pension of Rs.2,000. The eligible artists should avail themselves of both facilities through the Department of Kannada and Culture, he said.

The Parthi Subba award, a top honour by the academy, was presented to eminent Yakshagana playwright and talamaddale interpreter Ambathanaya Mudradi (Keshava Shettigar). It carries a Rs.1 lakh purse.

The academy presented its honorary award which carried a purse of Rs.50,000 to Ramakrishna Gundi.

The Yakshasiri annual award, which carries Rs.25,000 in its purse, was presented to Argodu Mohandas Shenoy, Mohammed Ghouse, Mururu Ramachandra Hegde, M.N. Hegde Haluvalli, and Haradi Sarvottama Ganiga.

Nalluru Janardhana Acharya was presented the Yakshasiri award posthumously and his wife, Sharada, received it.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mudradi said that probably there is no other art form other than Yakshagana which has subjected itself to many experiments, praise, and criticism.

Expressing his concern over the reducing number of talamaddale, a variant of Yakshagana theatre, ‘arthadaris’ (interpreters) in the recent years he said that the performances of Badagu Thittu and Tenku Thittu forms of Yakshagana should spread to all districts in the State.

The academy should take an initiative in this regard. Mr. Mudradi suggested that the authorities of Kollur Mookambika Temple relaunch the Kollur Yakshagana Mela.

Mr. Gundi said that Yakshagana is an open university.

Parthi Subba awardee Mr. Mudradi was born on June 4, 1935. A resident of Mudradi village in Hebri taluk of Udupi district, he started his career as a primary school teacher. He has been office-bearer of teacher’ organisations, editor of magazines, and member of textbook committees.

Mr. Mudradi participated in talamaddale programmes as rthadhari (interpreter) along with many doyens, namely Malpe Shankaranarayana Samaga, Sheni Gopalakrishna Bhat, Perla Krishna Bhat, Polya Dejappa Shetty, and Kumble Sundar Rao. He also had written many Yakshagana prasangas (scripts). He received the Karnataka Rajyotsava award in 2008.

Courtesy: The Hindu