Mangalore : The Kannada and Cultural Department in association with Karnataka Yakshagana Bayalata Academy, Bangalore celebrated the Keremane Shambhu Hegde Jayanthi at Town Hall on November 9, Wednesday.

Harshendra Kumar of Sri Kshetra Dharmastala inaugurated the event and said that he had witnessed the Yakshagana of Shambhu Hegde three times and had adored him.

He also said that Shambhu Hegde would have changed his attitude with his make up, since he would involve in the character very strongly and the Yakshagana Mela by the three Hegde brothers would decrease the collection of Mela played at Dharmastala troupe.

Today all the great Yakshagana artiste will be together in the heaven and may play a Mela there, since the art of Yakshagana will not live their soul for ever, he said.

The senior Yakashagana artistes like Kokkada Eashwar Bhat and Pundarikaksha Upadhyaya were felicitated with the shawl, fruit bowl, citation and a memento.

Sri Keshavananda Bharathi Swamiji of Edaneeru Mutt delivered the benedictory speech on the occasion.

Kumle Sundar Rao, former president of Karnataka Yakshagana Bayalata Academy in his speech said that the president of academy just sitting in the Bangalore office will not complete the work of development, but the support and effort of member of academy and artistes is necessary.

ML Samaga, president of Karnataka Yakshagana Bayalata Academy also spoke on the occasion. Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, president of Kannada Sahithya Parishat presided over the event.

John D’Souza, DGM, Corporation Bank, Harikrishna Punaroor, former president of Kannada Sahithya Parishat, Ambathanaya Mudhrady, president of Udupi Kannada Sahithya Parishat, Nebboor Narayan Bhagawath, Scholar G N Bhat, S M Hegde, AGM of BSNL, Ratnakar Jain, owner of Jain Travells were the chief gusts on the occasion.

H Janardhana Hande, art litterateur welcomed the gathering.

The stage programme followed by the Yakshagana play ‘Gadhayuddha’ by Sri Devakana Krishna Bhat.