Six Selected for Tulu Sahitya Academy Honorary Awards

Six Selected for Tulu Sahitya Academy Honorary Awards

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 27, 2026: Six achievers, including folk artists Kuddu Koraga and Nemu Parava, have been selected for the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy honorary awards for 2025 and 2026.

For 2025, Prof B Shivarama Shetty has been chosen in the Literature and Research category, Kuddu Koraga in Folk Arts, and Usha Bhandari in Cinema and Theatre.

For 2026, Kinnikkambla Padmanabha Rao (KP Rao) has been selected for Literature and Research, Nemu Parava for Folk Arts, and Sudhakar Bannanje for Cinema and Theatre.

The awards carry a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a citation. They will be presented at a ceremony at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru on October 4, Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy president Taranath Gatti Kapikad said.

Prof Shivarama Shetty, who taught at Mangaluru University for 38 years, has contributed extensively to Tulu research, edited more than 15 works and played a role in developing Tulu textbooks and curricula.

Kuddu Koraga, from Innanje in Udupi district, is a traditional dolu player and is also known for basket weaving and performing Birdu Paat, a form of Tulu oral folklore.

Usha Bhandari has been associated with theatre and cinema for over three decades and has acted in several Tulu plays and films besides working as an acting trainer.

KP Rao is recognised for his pioneering work in bringing Indian languages into computing and developing software for the Tulu script. He also developed a logical typing programme based on Tulu phonology.

Nemu Parava of Keyyur in Puttur began performing Daiva Nartana at the age of 16 and has portrayed several traditional daivas.

Sudhakar Bannanje is active in Tulu theatre and cinema as a producer, director, playwright, dialogue writer, lyricist and actor. He has written 64 Tulu plays.