23 to get State Ugadi awards

Hyderabad, March 27: Twenty-three personalities have been chosen for this year’s ఉగాది పురస్కారములు (Ugadi Puraskarams). Achievers in literature, music, dance, fine arts, folk, tribal dance, qawwali, mimicry, industries, sanskrit, sports, theatre, journalism, medicine, science and social service will receive the Ugadi awards at the newly renovated Ravindra Bharati auditorium. The government will for the first time felicitate five associations outside the State for promoting Telugu culture.

These include World Telugu Federation, Chennai, Malaysian Telugu Association (Kuala Lumpur), Delhi Telugu Academy (Delhi), Andhra Mahasabha (Mumbai) and Telugu Vignana Samithi (Bangalore). Talking to this correspondent, director of culture Arja Srikanth said, “this time the winners are a mix of youth and experience. Categories like child prodigies, qawwali, sports have been included.”

Among the awardees are Professor N. Gopi (literature), Dr Ravuri Bharadwaja (literature), Mr Salauddin Nayyar (Urdu), E. Vijeshwara Rao (vocal), D. Magatayaru (violin), Vanaja Uday (dance), S.V. Ramarao (fine arts), J. Venkateshwara Rao (folk), D Yesanna (folk), P Mutyam (tribal dance), Iqbal Hussain Khan Bandanawaazi (qawwali), Ch. Gopichand (mimicry), Anji Reddy (industrialist), Pullela Ramachandrudu (Sanskrit), V.V.S. Laxman (sports), M. Radha Krishna Murthy (theatre), D.S. Varada Chari (journalism), Dr Ravindranath (medicine), Dr J.R.K. Rao (science), Malladi Subbamma and P. Venkatrao (social service), Harsha Chakravarthi (child prodigy), P. Vijay Lakshmi for Hari Katha.

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle