While it's nice to recognize people's attainments, it's nicer once in a while to be able to recognize the people whose attainments are being recognized. Here's an award function where both the award and the awardees are big.
The Andhra Pradesh State Cultural Council will today give away the annual Hamsa awards to prominent personalities. The awards were instituted in 1999 to encourage individuals to perform and felicitate them for outstanding services in the fields of literature, music, dance, sculpture/painting and folk/tribal arts. The awards carry a cash prize of Rs. 30,000, a shawl, a gold plated 'Hamsa' (swan) and a citation.
The awardees for the year 2001 are: Utpala Satyanarayanacharya (poet and scholar - for literature), Annavarapu Ramaswamy (violin maestro - for music), Maddali Usha Gayatri (for dance), Professor Aekka Yadagiri Rao (eminent sculptor - for sculpture) and A C Chandrasekhar (for folk arts).
A jury headed by Dr. C Narayana Reddy and comprising former Karnataka chief justice Y Bhaskara Rao, Press Academy chairman Potturi Venkateshwara Rao and writer Abburi Chaya Devi has selected the awardees.
Awardee(s) details
Utpala is one of the top verse poets of Telugu. His recent book, Sri Krishna Chandrodayam, is considered a classic, and depicts the glory of Lord Krishna. A fellow disciple of Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, violin maestro Annavarapu was trained under renowned guru P Ramakrishna Pantulu. He is the Central Sangeetha Akademi award winner, and has trained hundreds of students in playing the violin. A disciple of Y Suryaprasada Sharma and V Jagannadha Sharma, Usha Gayatri obtained her Masters in Dance from the University of Hyderabad. An accomplished artist, she is a co-founder of the Kinnera Art Theaters, and runs her dance school Nritya Kinnera. An internationally renowned sculptor, Aekka has excelled in sculptures in stone, wood, metal and Plaster of Paris. His sculptures adorn art galleries the world over. Chandrasekhar is an eminent artist and has popularized the Veedhi Natakam (street plays). He organizes street plays highlighting social issues.
The A P State Cultural Council and the Department of Culture are jointly organizing this event. Please contact G Ramachandra Rao at 329-7100/321-4603 for further details.
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