Haluvalli Ganesh Bhat gets Pathala Yaksha Award

Haluvalli Ganesh Bhat gets Pathala Yaksha Award

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 2, 2015: Pathala Yaksha Pratishtana, Yendaneeru, Kasargod has selected eminent yakshagana artist - Haluvalli Ganesh Bhat for the Pathala Yaksha award. Known for essaying women’s role in Yakshagana with aplomb, Ganesh Bhat an integral part of the Kateel mela will be the 11th recipient of the award after stalwarts such as Kateel Purushottam Bhat, Kadaba Santappa, Peruvodi Narayana Bhat, Kodakallu Gopalakrishna Bhat, and Kudana Gopalakrishna Bhat.

Harikrishna Punaroor, former president, Kannada Sahitya Parishat and president of the Pratishtana told reporters that Ganesh Bhat will receive the award at a function to be held at Sri Yedaneeru Math on December 5. Ganesh has received widespread acclaim for his role as ’Sri Devi’ in the Sri Devi Mahatme yakshagana prasanga. He has worked in Dharmasthala mela for a year, and Sunkadakatte mela for 20 years and is with Kateel mela for the last 15-years.

An expert in both forms of yakshagana - badagathittu and thenkuthittu thanks to his gurus -Padre Chandu and Soorikumeru Govinda Bhat, and M G Vishwanath Jois, Ganesh Bhat is also loved by aficionados of this folk art form for his mastery over other roles such as Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Sanjaya, Shumba, Dasaratha, Dakshyayini, Kayadu, Ambe, Kinidaru, Damayanthi, Chandravathi, and Vrunde. When not in to yakshagana, he is a full time agriculturist during monsoon.

Shankuntala Shetty, Puttur MLA will be the chief guest at the awards presentation function that Bheemeshwara Joshi, dharmadhikari, Sri Kshetra Horanadu will preside. Sri Keshavananda Bharati, seer of Sri Yedaneeru math will deliver benedictions. Artists of Sri Yedaneeru Mela will stage yakshagana bayalatta - Bhakta Sudhama - Gadayudda after the awards presentation ceremony, he noted. Rama Pathala, member of the Pratishtana was present.