Kannada Rajyotsava Award: Five from Belagavi district to be awarded in Bengaluru today

BELAGAVI: Five people from Belagavi district who are achievers in different fields have been selected for the state level Kannada Rajyotsava Award.
Among them are two writers, a sculptor, an overseas Kannadiga and a swimmer, who will be felicitated on Tuesday, at the Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru.
The winners include Hanumant Balappa Hukkeri, a sculptor from Jaganur village in Chikodi taluk who is a fourth-generation sculptor of his family.
He has even trained his children in sculpting statues, arches and pillars of temples. Hukkeri, who belongs to the Bhagiratha Uppara community, has sculpted main doors (mahadwara) of many mutts and temples, in stone. He has worked across Karnataka, including in Bidar, Hampi, Bengaluru and Bhalki in Maharashtra.
Ashok Babu Neelgar, 67, a writer, has been selected for the honour. He is a resident of Shindhikurabet village in Gokak taluk, and has written 28 novels, two short-story collections and a collection of poems. Neelagar has written four plays, which have been telecast on AIR. A retired worker of Gokak Mills, he has written plays on social issues like dowry and female foeticide.
Arvind Patil, 61, an expatriate Kannadiga, has been selected. He hails from Rail Nagar in Belagavi city and has lived for around 25 years in the Gulf.
He has worked in Kannada organisations in those countries. He has worked in the Qatar embassy. Arvind is an engineer and worked as an actor and producer of many movies.
Raghavendra Ratnakar Anvekar,35, a swimmer, is a resident of Sahyadri Nagar, and is an international paralympic swimmer. He got the Ekalavya Award and National Sports Awards. Anvekar has won 28 international medals, including five gold medals, and 75 national medals, including 54 gold medals.
Shankar Buchadi,79, has been chosen too. He has authored five books in Kannada, and one research book in Marathi. He participated in pro-Kannada protests, and fought for welfare of weavers.