Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (KD/RD)

Mangalore, Oct 30: A yakshagana award, instituted in memory of yakshagana artiste M M Hegde will be presented to eminent yakshagana Bhagavat Nellur Mariyappa Achar, for his Kunjal style of presenting the yakshagana interpretation and veteran yakshagana artiste Halady Manjayya Shetty, for the year 2007, stated M M Hegde Memorial Foundation chairman Karunakar Shetty.
 
The award will be conferred at a function to be held on Saturday November 17 on the auspicious occasion of beginning the touring season of Marnakatte Yakshagana troupe, after monsoon.

M M Hegde Foundation was set up 3 years ago.  This would be the first presentation of award after the death of yakshagana maestro M M Hegde.  Trust secretary S V Uday Kumar Shetty, trustees Koni Shivaswamy Holla, Kandavar Raghuram Shetty, Dr Y Chandrashekar Shetty, were the members of the jury that selected the awardees.

Manjayya Shetty is an exemplary yakshagana artiste who performed variety of roles with typical performance learnt from his mentor, an eminent yakshagana artiste Shiriyara Manju Naik. He has served in the touring troupes of Mandarti, Saligrama, Marnakatte, Perdoor, for the past 45 years.  Mariyappa Achar, endowed with vocal talent is a yakshagana Bhagawat of distinct Kunjalu style and has bagged several awards, in the past.