Yakshagana scholars chosen for Yakshamangala Award for 2024

Yakshagana scholars chosen for Yakshamangala Award for 2024

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 23, 2025: Yakshagana scholars Ramananda Banari, M. L. Samaga, and Siddakatte Sadashiva Shettigar will get the Mangalore University’s Yakshamangala Award for 2024.

A Kannada book “Dasharupakagala Dashavatara” written by Ashoka Hasyagara Sirsi has been chosen for the university’s Yakshamangala Book Award for 2024.

Announcing the awards of P. Dayananda Pai and P. Sathish Pai Yakshagana Adhyayana Kendra of the university on Thursday, May 22, the Registrar (administration) of the university K. Raju Mogaveera said that the Yakshamangala Award carries a purse of ₹25,000, a citation, and a memento. The book award comprises ₹10,000 cash, a citation, and a memento.

The awards will be presented in a ceremony to be held in June under the chairmanship of P.L. Dharma, Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University, he said.

The selection for the awards was made a committee comprising K. Chinnappa Gowda, former Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka Folklore University, Padekallu Vishnu Bhat, a former principal and a Kannada scholar, and Dhananjaya Kumble, director of the Adhyayana Kendra.

Mr. Banari, a doctor-cum-artist, has written over 15 books, including poetry collections and medical writings. He is a well known Talamaddale artist.

Mr. Samaga, a veteran performer, scholar, and a former professor of English is well versed in both Tenku and Badagu Thittu schools of Yakshagana.

Mr. Shettigar, a senior professional artist is known for his “bannada vesha” and has performed in various Yakshagana melas.

Mr. Hasyagara, is a senior journalist and a critic. The book written by him is a comparative study of Yakshagana and Natya Shastra, and has been praised for its meticulous research and insightful analysis, Mr. Kumble said.