Yakshagana Bhagavat Balipa Narayana Bhagavatha dies at 85 in Karnataka

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Famous Yakshagana singer and screenwriter Balipa Narayan Bhagwat passed away on February 16 in Karnataka.

An overview of the news

• He had mastered a unique style of singing, due to which fans have given it the name of 'Balipa Style'.

• Rich in voice, Bhagwat has written more than 30 Yakshagana 'Prasanga' (scripts).

• He was well versed in over 100 Yakshagana episodes, which he composed by heart.

• He had served in the field of Yakshagana for about 60 years.

• He was the chief Bhagwat of Kateel Durgaparameshwari Prasadita Yakshagana Mandali (Kateel Mela).

• Born on April 13, 1938 in Padre village of Kasargod district (Kerala), Bhagavata wrote several Yakshagana episodes.

• Bhagwat entered the Yakshagana field at the age of 13.

• He composed the five-day 'Devi Mahatme' episode, which was an important milestone in the history of Yakshagana literature.

• He was honoured with several other awards including the 'Karnataka Sri' award in 2002 for All India Kannada literature.