Balesh Bhajantri, who has played the Shehnai for a few A.R. Rehman’s films, is among the Kannada Rajyotsava award winners. The Chennai-based hindustani classical instrumental musician hails from Kittur. He was trained in Dharwad and began performing in Bengaluru and Mumbai, before shifting to Chennai.
He was spotted by Mr. Rehman during a qawwali programme in Chennai. He visits Kittur to perform at local programmes once a year and performed at the Kittur Utsav a few years ago.
Sri Nijagunananda swami of Nishkal Mutt in Belur in Belagavi district was also selected for the award. He had got death threats from suspected right-wing elements. The Bengaluru police arrested a young man on charges of writing him threatening letters. Born as Harish Kumar in a Brahmin family in Puttur , he moved to northern Karnataka during his teenage years. Inspired by the Kayaka-Dasoha philosophy of Sri Basaveshwara, the seer became a follower of Sri Lingananda Swami and Mate Mahadevi. Sri Tontada Siddalinga swami of Gadag accepted him as a disciple and ordained him as the seer of a mutt in Annigeri.
