Senior Yakshagana artist Shridara Bhandari Puttur passes away
Mangaluru, Feb 19: Veteran Yakshagana artiste Puttur Sridhar Bhandary, who has long been associated with the Dharmasthala Yakshagana Mela, died on Friday, family sources said.
He was 73.
He is survived by wife, two sons and two daughters.
Bhandary had learnt Yakshagana at the age of 12 and first made a stage appearance when he was 15.
He earned praise and recognition for the portrayal of young Yakshagana heroes and was known for his electrifying, youthful and soulful performances.
He was a resident of Bannur in Puttur taluk.
Bhandary had won several honours including Karnataka Rajyotsava award and Yakshaganga academy award.
Some of the immensely popular roles he portrayed were Babhruvahana, Ashwathama, Kusha and Bhargava.
He had served in Subramanya Mela, Balambetttu Mela and Puttur Mela before joining Dharmasthala Mela where he served for 45 years as the leading artiste.
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Sculptor Ram Sutar, designer of Statue of Unity, passes away
New Delhi (PTI): Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, known for designing the world's tallest statue — Statue of Unity — in Gujarat, passed away late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence, his son said.
He was 100 and ailing with age-related illnesses.
"It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on 17th December midnight at our residence," his son Anil Sutar said in a note shared with the press on Thursday.
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Born in a humble family in Gondur village under the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra on February 19, 1925, Sutar is known to have been drawn to sculpting from his childhood.
A gold medallist from JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar, has to his credit a long list of achievements.
The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations.
The Statue of Unity honours Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister and home minister.
Sutar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Recently, Sutar was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state's highest award.
