Ullal Committee Announces Veerarani Abbakka Award Recipients for 2025-26
The Ullal Veerarani Abbakka Utsava Committee has officially selected two distinguished individuals for the prestigious Veerarani Abbakka Award for the year 2025-26. The recipients are Sayeegeetha Hegde in the literature category and Vidushi Rajashree Ullal in the arts category.
Honoring Excellence in Literature and Arts
Committee president Dinakar Ullal informed reporters on Friday that the award winners will be honored during the Veerarani Abbakka Utsava. This significant event is scheduled to take place on February 14 at Dr Ambedkar Rangamandira located in Olapete, Thokkottu.
Sayeegeetha Hegde: A Scholar of Tulu Language and Literature
Sayeegeetha Hegde serves as an associate professor in the humanities department at Nitte (Deemed to be University). She also holds the position of head at the Dr KR Shetty Centre for Tulu Studies within the same institution. Her academic journey is marked by significant achievements:
- She earned her doctorate from Dravidian University in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, with a study titled 'Tuluva Paripudu Ponnamoolakatt'.
- She holds an MA in Kannada and has completed postgraduate diplomas in Communicative English and Mass Communication and Journalism.
- Sayeegeetha is highly active in the fields of Tulu language, literature, and dictionary compilation.
Her literary contributions are extensive, with over 70 works to her name. These include research papers, dictionaries, poetry collections, biographies, language-learning texts, translations, and edited books. Notable among her works are translations of the Tamil classics 'Tirukkural' and 'Silappatikaram' into Tulu, as well as 'Tulu Jnatipada Sanchaya'.
Her excellence has been recognized with several awards, including the Hermann Gundert Award from the Dravidian Linguistics Association in Thiruvananthapuram for 'Tulu Jnatipada Sanchaya', and the Tuluva Siri Award from Odiyoor Gurudevadatta Samsthan.
Rajashree Ullal: A Prominent Figure in Bharatanatyam
Rajashree Ullal, hailing from the Ullal region, received her initial Bharatanatyam training from her father, Karnataka Kalathilaka Mohan Kumar Ullal. Her educational background in dance is impressive:
- She has completed the Vidwat examination.
- She holds a BA from the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography in Bengaluru.
- She earned an MA in Bharatanatyam from Bangalore University.
Rajashree has made significant contributions to the field of dance through various roles:
- She served as an examiner and chairperson for the Bharatanatyam junior, senior, and Vidwat exams conducted by the state government.
- She was appointed as a member of the Board of Studies of the Fine Arts Department at Mangalore University.
- She participated as a member of the dance curriculum preparation team.
- She was appointed as the chairperson for the postgraduate diploma course in dance at the university.
Her talent has been showcased at numerous dance festivals organized by the government of India and Karnataka. According to Dinakar Ullal, she has performed at prestigious events such as the Agra, Hampi, Karavali, and Abbakka Utsav festivals, gaining widespread recognition for her artistry.
Celebrating Cultural Heritage
The Veerarani Abbakka Award serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the region. By honoring individuals like Sayeegeetha Hegde and Rajashree Ullal, the Ullal Veerarani Abbakka Utsava Committee highlights the importance of preserving and promoting Tulu literature and classical dance forms. This award not only recognizes their individual accomplishments but also inspires future generations to contribute to the cultural landscape.
