Media Release
Mangalore, Dec 11: Deputy Registrar of Mangalore University Prabhakara Neermarga avoids the limelight though he has authored 17 novels, the latest novel ‘Vesha’ was released by Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza Bishop of Mangalore at Rosario Cultural Hall on Friday December 9 evening.
All the 17 novels written by Prabhakara Neermarga portray the local culture of undivided South Canara district. The cultural aspects that are portrayed in his novels include Bootha worship, Yakshagana and Naga worship and so on.
The novel ‘Jathre’ is about different feasts of South Canara where as ‘Manthana’ is about wrestling and ‘Madipu’ is about the culture of South Canara.
The present novel Vesha 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 mirrors the communal harmony that existed in South Canara and the cultural bond that kept people united.
Neermarga has also received awards for his writings. His work 'Thambila' was adjudged the best novel in All India Literary Meet where as ‘Mangalura Kranthi’ won him the Vishukumar Award and Karavali Samskrithika Prathistana Award.
Neermarga has also penned poetry, dramas and short stories, his stories and poems were also broadcasted 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. 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 Prabhakara Neermarga”.
Two seminars were also organized 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 Prabhakara Neermarga’ held at Sacred Heart College, Madantyar.
Neermarga not only writes but also encourages the budding writers, he has started a publication called Hemavathi Prakashana the works of the budding writers have seen light through the publication house. An award called ‘Prabhakara Neermarga Literary Award’ is also instituted to encourage young writers.
A gold medalist in the B A, Prabhakara has a Postgraduate Degree in Literature from Mysore University and an MBA from Alagappa University. In spite of his hectic schedule as a Registrar, the fact that he manages to take time and write is evidence of his dedication to Kannada and the local culture.