Shodhan Prasad
Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai

Dubai, Jun 19: UAE Padmashaali community has decided to honour senior community member, teacher, Yakshagana, Harikatha and Jinakatha artiste, writer and poet Ambatanaya Mudradi with the apt "Jnaanarshi” title. He will be honoured with this title at a function organised along with the Second anniversary and Satyanarayana Pooja which will be held on 22nd June 2012 at Karama Centre Dubai.

Keshava Shettigar, more widely known by his pen name “Ambatanaya Mudradi” was born on June 4, 1935 in Mudradi village in Karkala. He was attracted to the cultural richness of the district at his young age and showed promise to be a great artiste in future.

Ambatanaya Mudradi took up the noble profession of teaching and taught thousands of students. He organised the teaching community and was an office bearer of teachers association. He edited “Shikshakavani”, the mouthpiece magazine of teaching community. He was the resource person in many a teacher improvement programmes conducted all over the state.

Yakshagana was his favourite passion and he was an artist above par in his childhood days itself. The passion grew with age and he learnt all aspects of yakshagana and became a versatile performer on the stage. He was an eminent star in Taalamaddale field which requires immense knowledge of epic stories of Ramayana, Mahabharta and Bhagavata as well.

Mudradi was a writer, dramatist and poet who has written and published more than 50 books which includes collection of poems, dramas, yakshagana prasangas and critical literary evaluations. He wrote biographies, devotional songs and chinthana- manthana columns as well.

After retirement, he served in two professional yakshagana troupes of Amriteshvari and Idagunji for a few years and matched the performances of the best in the industry.

He has been conferred with various awards and titles in the past acknowledging his commendable service in the fields of literature and art. He was honoured by Rama Vittala award by Pejavar Mutt, Sahitya Siri award by Palimar Mutt and Kannadashri award by Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. He was hounoured by prestigious Kannada Rajyotsava award in 2008 by Karnataka Government.

UAE Padmashali Community requests all Kannadiga friends to join together in honouring a senoir legend of our times, Ambatanaya Mudradi. Along with the satyanarayana pooja, a harikatha presentation by Ambatanaya Mudradi has also been organised.