VESHA - Prabhakara Neermarga’s 17th Novel Released by Bishop of Mangalore

VESHA - Prabhakara Neermarga’s 17th Novel Released by Bishop of Mangalore

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Dec 12, 2011: PRABHAKARA NEERMARGA,Deputy Registrar of Mangalore University, avoids the limelight though he has authored  17 novels, the latest  -VESHA - was unwrapped at Rosario Cultural Hall on December 9, 201, evening, By Rev.Dr.Aloysius Paul D’Souza Bishop of Mangalore, in the presence of lovers of literature and history.

All the 17 novels written by Prabhakara Neermarga portray the local culture of undivided South Canara district. The cultural aspects that are portrayed in  the novels of  Prabhakara Neermarga include Bootha worship, Yakshagana and Naga worship and more. If the Novel jathre is about different feasts of South Canara, Manthana is about wrestling, Madipu is about the total culture of South Canara and so on.

 

 

The present novel Vesha which was released  (December 9,2011)  describes how during Navarathri people of different castes and religions put on the disguise and masquerade  visiting different houses to entertain people and bring about a sense of  affection. The novel is a mirror to depict the communal harmony that existed in South Canara and the cultural bond that kept them together.

Prabhakara Neermarga has received  awards and laurels for his writings. His work Thambila was adjudged the best novel in All India Literary Meet. His novel “Mangalura Kranthi” won him the Vishukumar Award and Karavali Samskrithika Prathistana Award.

Other than novels, Author Neermarga has also published poetry, dramas and short stories. Many of his stories and poems were also broadcast on All India Radio Mangalore. Since Tulu culture is the integral part of Prabhakara’s novels, scholars have taken keen interest to do research on them. Sri Kittu a lecturer from S.V.S College Buntwal has done M.Phil research based on his novels, on the topic –“Depiction of Tulu culture in the novels of Mr Prabhakara Neermarga”. Two seminars were also organised on his novels on the topic, “Regional culture in the novels of  Prabhakara Neermarga held at St Mary’s College Shirva and “Oral History of Coastal Karnataka in the Novels of Mr Prabhakara Neermarga’, held at Sacred Heart College, Madantyar.

Novelist Neermarga not only writes but also encourages the budding writers to bloom. In this direction he has started a publication called Hemavathi Prakashana under whose banner the works of the budding writers have seen light. An award called ‘Prabhakara Neermarga Literary Award’ is also instituted to encourage young writers.

A gold medallist in the B.A , Prabhakara has a Post-graduate Degree in Literature from Mysore University and a MBA from Alagappa University. In spite of his hectic schedule as a Registrar, the fact that  he makes time to write is evidence of his dedication to Kannada and the local culture.