Date:18/03/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/03/18/stories/2003031801870300.htm

Southern States - Karnataka

34 get Janapada Jnana-Vignana Award

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN MARCH 17. The Hassan District in-charge and Revenue Minister, H.C.Srikantaiah, conferred Janapada Jnana-Vignana Award on 34 folk artistes at a function organised by the Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana Academy and the district administration here on Sunday. He also honoured four writers for their contribution to folk literature.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Srikantaiah said that it was imperative to preserve folk culture for posterity, as it was a repository of ancient knowledge. Recalling the contribution of the district to folk culture, he said that prominent writers, including S.V.Ranganna, Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar, S.K.Kareem Khan, Matighatta Krishna Murthy, H.J.Lakkappa Gowda and H.S.Ramachandre Gowda, had contributed to the development of folk culture.

The Chairman of the Karnataka Janapada Parishat, H.L.Nage Gowda, regretted that the Government was interested only in encouraging "superior'' culture and was neglecting folk culture.

The Department of Kannada and Culture, which published "Dasa Sahitya'' and "Vachana Sahitya'', was providing equal importance to document folk culture. However, he was not against taking up of any publication by the department, but his only concern was that there was no differentiation among the various fields.

He said that there was no future to folk culture as it was more of "oral in nature." He complained that the proposal submitted by him to bring out 20 volumes of Janapada Kosha (Dictionary of Janapada words) to the previous Government was still languishing in the Secretariat. He urged the Minister to impress upon the Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, to take up the work of Janapada Kosha, which would be helpful in documenting folk culture.

Mr. Nage Gowdasaid that it was imperative to preserve folk language, music and literature and with the death of each artiste, folk culture would lose a repository of knowledge. Heappealed to the Minister to provide financial assistance to the school he started for folk culture in Bangalore.

D.Javare Gowda said that folk culture would not die, as it was a continuous process. It was imperative to preserve tribal culture.

Nalluru Prasad and D.B.Nayak spoke. The noted artiste, Subhadramma, and Basavalingiah Hiremuth, gave a performance.

Awardees

The awardees are Bangaramma-folk singing, Chuttamma Harijana-Traditional singing, Kathegara Neelappa-story narration, Padmamma-Bayalata, Narasaiah-folk medicine, Agalukote Ramiah-Sutrada Bombeyata, H.S.Parashiva Murthy-Veerabhadra Kunita, Habatur Mahadevamma-Kathanageethe, Mahadeviah-Kamsale, Tamboori Mariyappa-Tamboori, Yashodamma-folk dishes, Dongi Chandappa Chaluvadi-Volga, Rudregowda Lingadahalli-Puravantike, Gangavva Yadravi-GeeGee Pada, Hanumantha Maruthi Bhajantri-Srikrishna Parijata, Shivana Gowda Mallappa Koti-Keelu Kudre Kunita, Gangappa Devamma Mantalkara-Huggi, Hanumi Kshetra Gowda-Singer of rural Mahabharatha, Bettampadi Balappa Shetty-Yakshagana, Gopardi Vithala Patila-Yakshagana, P.Ramachandrappa-drum manufacturer, P.A.Mani- Cheei Vadya, Ramalingappa- Underground water tracer, Bheemashyaa Sharanappa Bhakare-Doddata, Mummela, Anasavva Ramappa Halavakonda-Sobane Pada, Patel Nanjamari Gowda-Somana Kunita, N.C.Narayana Swamy-Moodalapaya Yakshagana, Chennanna Valikara-folklore study, B.S.Swamy-folklore study, Nalluru Prasad-folklore study, Basavalingiah Hiremath, K.H.Bijapure, Mysore Mahadeveppa for dissemination of folk culture.

The Graduate Yakshagana Committee of Mumbai received the Folk Institution Award.

Mahadeva Shankanapura, D.B.Nayak, Jeenahalli Siddalingappa and P.N.Mayya were honoured for folk literature.