Mangalore: Sandesha Awards to be Presented on February 13

Media Release

Mangalore, 02 February 2011: The city-based Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education ®, functioning under the auspices of the Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops’ Council, will be holding a function for presenting the annual ‘Sandesha Awards 2011’ on Sunday February 13, at 5.30 pm. The venue of the programme will be Sandesha, Premnagar, Bajjodi, in the city.

 

Mangalore Bishop, Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, will preside over the function. Bishop of Bellary, Dr Henry D’Souza, who is the chairman of Sandesha Foundation, will grace the occasion. Vice-chancellor of Mangalore University, Prof T C Shivashankara Murthy, will be the chief guest.

 

Sandesha Awards, instituted by various organizations and individuals, will be handed over to the following distinguished personalities, in recognition of their contributions to various fields, at the function.

 

 

Sandesha Kannada Literature Award: Dr Marulayya (80), presently living in Bangalore, who has authored 93 books covering all spheres of Kannada literature, has been chosen for this award. Besides being a gifted lecturer, he has also been a poet, novelist and journalist par excellence. He has received Rajyotsava, Kannada Sahitya Academy, and Arya Bhata Awards, among others. He has served as president and secretary of Kannada Sahtiya Parishat.

 

Sandesha Konkani Literature Award: Paul Moras (58), who has deeply studied Konkani language, Konkani folk dance and folk music, has published three books, Konkani Chalval, Jaagaran, and Mogrem Kaaran. Moras is also a Konkani activist and social worker, who took the initiative and leadership in organizing Konkani Jathas all over the state towards demanding inclusion of Konkani in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, and for the establishment of Konkani Sahitya Academy. Presently, he is the president of Karnataka Konkani Writers Forum. He has served as the president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal and All India Konkani Sahitya Parishat. Some of the awards conferred on him are, Mahan Konkani Karbari Award of Konkani Bhasha Mandal, district Rajyotsava Award, DR TMA Pai Award for his work, Konkani Chalval, and Konkani Sahtiya Academy Award for his work, Mogrem Kaaran.

 

Sandesha Tulu Literature Award: A distinguished personality, Kudkady Vishwanath Rai, who runs Vishwa Kala Niketan at Sullia Padavu in Puttur, has been picked for this award. Besides being a staunch supporter of Tulu cause, Rai, who has prowess even in the fields of Bharatnatyam and Carnatic music, has written 23 books in Tulu and Kannada. Rai has produced seven Tulu ballets, and seven more in Kannada. He has won Tulu Sahitya Academy Award, Karnataka Kalashri Award from Karnataka government. He was the president of Tulu Utsava held in Bahrain.

 

Sandesha Arts Award: Master Vittal Shetty, a city-based Bharatnatyam trainer since the last 71 years, who has been picked for this award, also has presented several dance programmes abroad. Several of his ballets are based on Ramayana, Mahabharat and the Bible. He had presented a Bible-based creation at the International Eucharistic Congress at Mumbai in 1965 in the presence of Pope Paul. Shetty, considered a great dance Guru, has won several awards including Rajyotsava Award, Kalashree Award from Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy, and several titles from the dancing fraternity.

 

Sandesha Cinema/TV Award: M S Narasimha Murthy, who has endeared himself to Kannada TV viewers through his comedy serials, Paa Pa Paandu and Silly Lalli, both of which have over a thousand episodes under their belts, is a humorist par excellence. Currently, his tele serials, Parvathi Parameshwar, and Panduranga Vittala, are being aired on Zee TV Kannada. His other popular serials are Crazy Colonel, Sabeena, Yadwaa Tadwaa etc. He also writes dialogues for Kannada films, and has penned over 50 books, two of which have won awards from the academy. Narasimha Murthy, whose writings brim with comedy, has received many awards including Beechi Award, Indira Priyadarshini Award, Navaratnaram Award, Aryabhata Award and Lifetime Tele Award, apart from many others.

 

Sandesha Journalism Award: This time, popular editor of Lakesh Patrike, Gauri Lankesh, has been selected for this award. Gauri, who continues the illustrious publication started by his father, continues to be the editor of Guide monthly, and of Lankesh Publications. A holder of degree in journalism, Gauri is active in literary and social fields. She has brought out writings of her father in book form, besides several others.

 

Sandesha Media Education Award: Veereshwara Punyashrama, Gadag, which has been involved with the work of teaching and training the blind, mentally retarded, orphans and poor children, has also been involved with imparting various skills to them to be able to make them stand on their own legs. The Ashram, started in 1942 by Panchakshara Gavai, is continued by Dr Puttaraja Gavai.

 

Sandesha Best Teacher Award: Fr Sunith Prabhu SJ, born in 1941 in Mangalore, and presently living in Bangalore, has been chosen for this award, considering his work since the last 38 years towards the welfare of students, teachers and educational institutions. He holds postgraduate degree in Kannada, and has served as a teacher, vice-principal, and principal of St Joseph Indian High School. Under his guidance, a hall, library, swimming pool and gymnasium were built for the school. After retiring in 1999, he took over as the administrator of St Joseph’s Arts and Science College. He has served as the founder secretary of the Association of Jesuit educational institutions and also the Association of Educational Institutions under the Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops Council.

 

Konkan Kogul Wilfy Rebimbus Memorial Sandesha Konkani Music Award: Fr Walter Albuquerque SJ (88), known affectionately as ‘White Nightingale’, from Mangalore, has been chosen for this award. In his Sangeetalaya, youngsters are trained in various instruments. Most of the Konkani singers and musicians were trained and guided by him. He has translated a number of English hymns into Konakni, and composed new hymns. He presently resides at the St Aloysius College residence, and happens to be an active member of the college band.

 

Sandesha Special Recognition Award: Raymond D’Souza (47), a world-renowned body builder from the city, has made the city as well as the country proud by securing Mr World title. Raymond, working for Corporation Bank, lives in Nagori in the city, and runs his own Raymond’s Gym, where he trains youngsters. Some of the awards won by him are Karnataka Shree, Karnataka Shreshta, Bharath Kishore, Bharath Kumar, Bharath Shree, and Bharath Kesari. He has won Rajyotsava Award, Shree Dasara, Ekalavya Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, etc.

 

Each of these awards carries a cash component of Rs 10,000, a citation, a shawl, and a trophy, Sandesha Foundation has said.