News and pics: Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Muscat
Muscat, Jan 14: Oman Tuluver, a cultural forum of Tuluvas, residing in Oman released Dubai’s well known poet and dramatist Prakash Rao Payyar’s Tulu collection of poems 'Uretta Kannuda Siri' and Tulu audio album ‘Nana’ at Emerald Hall, Hotel Crystal Suites, here on January 9, 2016 at 5.00 pm. Prakash Rao Payyar is the president of Dhwani Pratishtana and recipient of the Karnataka State Nataka Academy Award.
Industrialist Shashidhar Shetty Mallar, president of Oman Tulver, Divakar Shetty - managing director- Multitech LLC, Sarvotham Shetty- president Karnataka Sangha, Abu Dhabi and Manohar Tonse, president Billavara Balaga Abu Dhabi and poet Prakash Rao Payyar were present on the dais.
Sashidhar Shetty Mallar welcomed the guests, well-wishers including the prominent leaders of various associations, media representatives and the invitees. S K Poojary, Srikanth Shetty, Dr C K Anchan,
Manjunath Nayak and Ganesh V Shetty honored the dignitaries with flower bouquets. Shankar Shetty Kallady was also honoured with a flower bouquet.
Diwakar Shetty released the 'Uretta Kannuda Siri' collection of Tulu poems and Shashidhar Shetty Mallar released the ‘Nana' audio CD with dignitaries. Nagesh Shetty Kinnigoli, Stanley Fernandes, Sooraj
Rebellow, S Shriyan, Yuvaraj Salian and Ganesh V Shetty dedicated the songs to the audience by playing each song. The audience appreciated the songs with a big round of applause. 'Nana' contained 10 beautiful folk songs penned by Prakash Rao Payyar, music by Shashidhar Kote, sung by Padmabhushan SP Balasubramaniam, Shashidhar Kote, B R Chaya, K S Surekha, Manjula Gururaj and Rameshchandra.
Thereafter, poet Prakash Rao Payyar was felicitated with a shawl and bouquet.
Shankar Shetty Kallady spoke about the tulu culture in general and gave a bird’s eye view of poems. "This is a beautiful compilation of poems in Tulu literature. Prakash Payyar has touched every aspect of
Tulunadu in his poems. Though he is living in a foreign land, he has made immense efforts to nurture the field of Tulu literature," he said.
Manohar Tonse reviewed the book and recited few poems from the collection. He said that poems apart from depicting rich culture of tulunad throw light on changing lifestyle of tuluvas, creeping modernization, loss of human values and oppression of the downtrodden.
Sarvotham Shetty presided the program and while addressing the
gathering admired the relentless efforts of Prakash Rao Payyar in promoting Kannada literature and dramatics. He appealed to the audience to encourage upcoming Tulu literature. He expressed his compassion for those writers who always remain economically deprived in society.
Prakash Rao Payyar in his address thanked the Oman Tuluver and in particular Sashidhar Shetty Mallar for recognizing his literary work and for giving an opportunity to release the book in Muscat. Payyar requested the audience to read more and more Tulu literature and encourage the writers. He further said that our identity is our rich Tulu culture and literature which play a critical role in the formation of our character.
The program concluded with the vote of thanks by Shahsidhar Shetty.