The Ramagovind awards in recognition of outstanding contributions in the culture, social, educational, and health fields will be given away at a function at Kalamandira in the city on January 5.
The awards have been instituted by D. Ramabai Charitable Foundation and M. Gopinath Shenoy Charitable Trust, Mysuru and are being given since 2016. The trust said in a release that it is customary for it to identity two organisations and three individuals for their contributions and this year the awards will be conferred on Jnanasindhu Residential School for the Blind in Holealuru, Gadag district; Idagunji Mahaganapathi Yakshagana Mandali based in Uttara Kannada district; Omkarnath Sharma of Delhi who is known as “medicine baba”; K.R. Kamath of Kamakshi Hospital, Mysuru; and C.R. Himanshu who is a renowned patron of art and music in the city.
The award carries a citation and ₹5 lakh cash prize in case of institutions and ₹3 lakh for individuals. The awards ceremony will feature a concert by Vidyabhushan apart from a yoga and Mallakambha presentation by students of Jnanasindhu School. The organisers made a brief presentation on the awardees and said that Jnanasindhu Residential School for Blind started with only five students but caters to more than 100 visually handicapped persons from Gadag and surrounding districts.
Sri Idgunji Mahaganapathi Yakshagana Mandali was started in 1935 by Keremane Sri Shivaram Hegde. It has conserved the purity of Yakshagana as an art form and has given over 9,000 performances across India and rest of the world, said the trustees. In a bid to propagate the art form for posterity the Mandali is also offering a 2-year training in Yakshagana.
Mr. Sharma, who worked as a technician in a blood bank in Delhi, is known to distribute medicines free of cost to the needy.
Mr. Kamath is working at Kamakshi Hospital since the last 47 years and the award is in recognition of his services and contribution to the field of medicine.
Mr. Himanshu is a renowned patron of art and music and has been involved in organising concerts and bringing the best of talent from across India to the city since decades, said the organisers.
