Media Release
Dubai, Jun 4: The Yakshagana Abhyasa Kendra UAE (YAKU) has announced the prestigious annual Yaksha Shri Raksha Award for the year 2024. This award is intended to recognize the achievements of a prominent figure in the Yakshagana field, whether from Dubai or the homeland. For the year 2023-2024, the award has been conferred upon Sri Venkatesh Shastri Puttige, a local Yakshagana himmela artist and a senior member of Yakshagana Abhyasa Kendra UAE (YAKU).
Venkatesh Shastri, born on October 12, 1966, to couple Ramachandra Shastri and Janaki R Shastri of Puttige, he holds a BE degree in Electrical and Electronics. Under the guidance of Gurus like Gurupura Anni Bhat and Madhuru Lakshminarayana Sharma, he mastered the art of Chende-Maddale and became a proficient amateur himmela artist. Sri Venkatesh Shastri has consistently contributed to every Yakshagana programme held in UAE, collaborating with renowned artists like Balipa Narayana Bhagavatha, Purushottama Poonja, Dinesh Ammanaya, Karunakar Shettigar Kashipatna, Patla Satish Shetty, Prasad Balipa, Ravichandra Kannadikatte, Girish Rai kakkepadav, Amrutha Adiga, Padmanabha Upadhyaya, Mohan Shettigar Mijaru, Dayananda Shettigar Mijaru, Chaitanya Padyana, and Savinaya Nellitirtha.
A dedicated member of the Yakshagana Abhyasa Kendra UAE (YAKU), Sri Venkatesh Shastri is an avid artist with profound knowledge of Yakshagana. He is married to Amba Venkatesh Shastri and are blessed with two children, Sricharan Shastri and Sharanya Shastri, both of whom are well-established in their careers. Sharanya Shastri is also a well-known Yakshagana artist in Dubai.
The award will be presented to Sri Putthige Venkatesh Shastri in the presence of esteemed guests during Dubai Yakshotsava 2024 on Sunday, June 9 at the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium, Indian High school, Oud Al Metha – Karama, Dubai–UAE as a part which the mythological Yakshagana play the 'Dasarathi Darshana' will be performed. This announcement was made by Sri Dinesh Shetty Kottinja, patron of the Dubai Yakshagana Abhyasa Kendra UAE (YAKU), in the presence of team YAKU and esteemed media guests.
Senior artists and activists of the Yakshagana Abhyasa Kendra UAE (YAKU), including Bhavanishankar Sharma, Girish Narayan Katipalla, Jayanand Pakkala, Vasanth Shetty Balepuniguttu, Prakash Pakkala, Rajesh Kuthar, Krishnaprasad Rai Suratkal, Balakrishna Shetty Maduru, Balakrishna Shettigar Kinnigoli, Vijay Shetty, and mentors like Shekhar D. Shettigar Kinnigoli and Sharath Kudla, were present at this gathering.