Udupi: Yakshagana icon Balipa Narayana Bhagavata passes away at 85
Moodbidri: Balipa Narayana Bhagavata, legendary artiste of the Thenkuthittu (southern) style of Yakshagana, died at his residence in Nooyi near Maroor here on Thursday evening.
The artiste, who was aged 85 years, is survived by his three sons. The family has said that the funeral rites will be conducted at his residence at 1:30 am, late Thursday night.
Bhagavata was born on March 13, 1938 in Padre village of Kasaragod district as the son of Balipa Madhava Bhat and Saraswathi. He dropped out of school at the age of 13 years to become a Yakshagana artiste.
Having been active in the field of Yakshagana as a singer (bhagavata) for more than 60 years, Bhagavata worked with the troupe Kateel Durgaparameshwari Yakshagana Mela for about four and a half decades.
Equally famous as a playwright, he wrote several episodes (prasangas) and songs of Yakshagana. He had also penned the mega episode 'Devi Mahatme', the show of which continues for five days. He has written as many as 30 episodes that were published as well as 15 unpublished episodes.
His achievement and stature in Yakshagana earned Bhagavata the title of 'Bheeshma of Thenkuthittu' of Yakshagana, the 'grand old man' of the southern school. He was also popular in the stature of a grandfather, with the people calling him 'Balipajja', who was down-to-earth, approachable, polite and 'innocent as a child'.
Bhagavata was awarded the 'Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti', the 'Samaga Prashasti', 'Jnana Prashasti' of the Karnataka Folklore and Yakshagana Academy, the 'Doddamane Lingegowda Prashasti' of the Karnataka Janapada Parishat, the 'Karnatakashri Prashasti' at the 71st All India Kannada Literary Festival and the 'Agari Prashasti' among other awards, during the span of his long career.
On the occasion of Bhagavata's 75th birthday, Yakshagana fans got an 'Amruta Bhavana' constructed near his residence in his honour.
One of his sons, Prasad Balipa, who was a renowned bhagavata of Yakshagana, predeceased his father. Another son Shivashankar Balipa is also a famous bhagavata while a third son Madhava Balipa is a Yakshagana background artiste. Bhagavata's fourth son Shashidhar Balipa is an agriculturist.
With the passing away of Bhagavata, however, followers of Yakshagana are grieving the loss of a singer of the highest order, an artiste from the old school of the art form and a treasure house of knowledge.
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Bengaluru: KAS officer, driver caught in Rs 30 lakh bribe case
Bengaluru: Lokayukta police have arrested a KAS officer and his driver for allegedly demanding and accepting a Rs 30 lakh bribe to pass a favourable order in a pending RRT case.
The accused have been identified as Nagaprashanth (KAS), serving as Special Assistant Commissioner (North) and Special Land Acquisition Officer-1, KIADB, and Kumar, a driver associated with his office, Deccan Herald reported.
Based on a complaint by Ravi Kumar, a resident of Attur in Yelahanka, Lokayukta team laid a trap.
According to investigators, the accused had demanded Rs 30 lakh, of which Rs 15 lakh was allegedly collected earlier by the driver on the officer’s instructions.
On Wednesday, the driver was caught red-handed while accepting the remaining Rs 15 lakh, leading to the arrest of both him and the officer.
Both accused have been taken into custody, and further investigation is underway.
