Yakshagana veteran Chittani Ramachandra Hegde is no more

coastaldigest.com news network
October 3, 2017

Managluru, Oct 3: Veteran Yakshagana artiste Chittani Ramachandra Hegde passed away at a private hospital in Manipal on Tuesday night, due to pneumonia. He was 84.

He was the first among Yakshagana artistes to receive Padma Shri award. A school dropout who studied up to Class 2, Ramachandra Hegde performed Yakshagana for nearly seven decades and won a national award.

He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter. The last rites will be conducted at his village Guddekeri, 19 km from Honnavar, in Uttara Kannada on Wednesday.

Ramachandra Hegde became unconscious after performing the role of Shantanu in “Bheeshmotpatti” prasanga (episode) in Bangaramakki on September 26. Later, he was admitted to a hospital in Honnavar from where he was shifted to Kasturba Medical College Hospital in Manipal on September 29.

His illustrious performance became the subject matter for research works. Keshava Hegde, the author of Yaksha Sinchana, said that Ka. Vem. Shree and Vasudha Hegde obtained their Ph. D by writing on the performance of Ramachandra Hegde.

Ramachandra Hegde’s greatest strength was memorising the “prasangas” as he was not well versed in reading and writing. Many artistes of the present generation have been following the Chittani style of dance, Mr. Keshava Hegde said.

A recipient of many awards, including the Rajyotsava award, Mr. Hegde was known for performing the roles of Bhasmasura, Kaurava, Keechaka, Rudrakopa, Kamsa, Magadha and many other villain roles.

His son Subrahmanya Chittani, also a Yakshagana performer, said that Yakshagana was his father’s life.

Mr. Hegde had described Yakshagana as a “collective form” that came alive with everybody, from the veshadhari (artiste) and bhagavata (background singer) to the chande and maddale (percussion) players.

Comments

Vinod acharya
 - 
Wednesday, 4 Oct 2017

Condolence.. God may give strength  for family to bear his loss

Mohan
 - 
Wednesday, 4 Oct 2017

Great artist. Biggest loss for us

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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