Daijiworld Media Network - Belthangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jul 2: Sharada Rao (68), veteran writer from Dharmasthala breathed her last at her residence owing to cardiac arrest on the morning of Tuesday July 1.

Rao, who has been serving the literary field for the last 30 years, had brought out collections of poems titled Kavyaguccha, Kavya Karaveera and Saptaswara besides audio cassettes by the names Bhava Sangama and Balaka Manikanta.

Two Tulu plays penned by her, 'Boodammana Birsatike' and 'Preetida Bale' had won her Sri Ratnavarma Heggade Memorial awards. Tulu Sahitya Academy award and 'Kalpana' award conferred by Dr Rajkumar Fans Club are among the several other awards the extremely talented late Rao had won. She was honoured at the Belthangady taluk Chutuku Sahitya Sammelan and had chaired the poets conference of the eighth Kannada Sahitya Sammelan.

She is survived by husband Ramesh Rao, two sons and two daughters. Sharada Rao was very close to the late Ratnamma Heggade of Dharmasthala.

Various persons including Dharmasthala temple manager N R Udupa and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike taluk president Pushparaj paid last respects to the departed soul.