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MANGALURU: Yakshadruva Patla Foundation Trust has set its sights firmly on helping yakshagana artists - ailing, infirm, et al. The Trust is all set to use the Yakshadruva Patla Sambrama 2017 as a launch pad for a series of welfare measures aimed at this section of artists in an effort to recognize their contribution to this popular folk art. The sambrama incidentally will be held at Adyar Garden at Adyar along the Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway on May 28.

 Brainchild of eminent yakshagana bhagavatha and founder president of the trust Satish Shetty Patla, the May event will see the Foundation hold a free medical check-up camp for yakshagana artists, their family members and dependents in association with K S Hegde Medical Academy, Deralakatte and also distribute medicines to them. Members of the Trust and other yakshagana aficionados will simultaneously donate blood at the Sambrama, Satish Shetty said.

 The highlight of the Sambrama will be conferring of Yakshadruva Patla Award 2017 on Balipa Narayana Bhagavatha. The award carries a purse of Rs 1 lakh. In addition, the Trust will confer pratibha puraskar on children of yakshagana artists, scholarships to children of invalid yakshagana artists, gold coins on children of yakshagana artists who have scored more than 90% marks in SSLC, and II PUC examinations in a move aimed at reassuring families of such artists.

 In addition, 15 invalid, infirm yakshagana artists including eight from Thenkuthittu style, five from badaguthittu style, one amateur and one woman artist will be presented with purse of Rs 50,000 each. The Trust has included amateur and woman artists for this benefit from this year, Satish Shetty says. The Patla Sambrama will also see the trust honour seven artists with Yakshadruva Kala Gaurava award. The trust had given this award to one artist in the event last year.

 About the more ambitious project, Satish Shetty said it is the aim of the Trust to construct 100 houses for artists who do not have houses of their own. "We aim to complete this task over the next three years," he said. Senior artists who have put in at least 15-years of service and above 60-years will be presented with monthly honorarium of Rs 1000 each. The trust will also publish the various ’prasangas’ penned by Balipa Narayana Bhagavatha in the future, he noted.