Udupi : Yakshagana artiste Vandse Narayana Ganiga passed away in Udupi on Monday. He was 84. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daugh- ter. A recipient of the Rajyotsava Award for 2014, Mr. Ganiga was a professional artiste for about four decades. He took to Yakshagana performance at the age of 12.

The late artiste had mastered both the Tenku Thittu and Badagu Thittu forms of Yakshagana.

Condoling his death, president and secretary of the Udupi Yakshagana Kalaranga M. Gangadhar Rao and Murali Kadekar, respectively, said that his roles of Mohini, Shive, Prabhavathi, Rooparekha and Susheele were exemplary. He was able to exhibit the shrungara, karuna and bhakti rasas perfectly.

He had performed in Yakshagana melas (touring troupes) such as Maranakatte, Mandarthi, Kolluru, Dharmasthala, Kundavu, Koodlu, Surathkal and Idagunji.