Mysuru: Acclaimed Bharatanatyam artiste from Kodagu, Mukkatira Shilpa Nanjappa, has been selected for the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2024 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) under the category ‘Overall Contribution and Scholarship in the Performing Arts.’ 

The award is India’s highest honour for performing artistes under the age of 40. Shilpa is the first person from Kodagu and the first Kodavathi to receive the coveted recognition. 

Candidates are nominated by eminent artistes and previous SNA awardees and are evaluated on the strength of their body of work and contributions to the performing arts.  

In the ‘Overall Contribution and Scholarship’ category, artistes are expected to demonstrate not only excellence in performance but also significant contributions through research, teaching, curation and allied activities. 

In Shilpa’s case, the award recognises more than a decade of work in documenting, preserving and promoting Kodava culture and heritage through academic research, alongside a distinguished performing career spanning nearly three decades. 

She was awarded the prestigious two-year Fellowship for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) for 2019-2021. Her topic was ‘Adaptation of Kodava language/literary compositions into the classical format and Bharatanatyam’.  

Shilpa Nanjappa is the daughter of Allaranda Uthappa and Kaveriamma couple. She is married to Mukkatira Pavan Nanjappa. 

Stamp of approval for Kodava culture 

Born in Bengaluru and at present settled in Kodagu after her marriage, Shilpa Nanjappa is also an ‘A’ grade artiste of Doordarshan. Speaking to Star of Mysore, Shilpa said that being nominated itself was a significant honour because nominations come from senior members of the fraternity.

“When members of the dance community hold me in such high regard, that recognition alone feels significant. For the first time in my life, an award is not about me; it is about the work, the community and a stamp of approval for Kodava culture and heritage,” she said. 

“I have dedicated more than a decade to propagating and preserving this tradition. I hope this recognition helps the Kodava language reach places it has never reached before. This award is a huge acknowledgement for micro-culture representation in larger cultural spaces and is integral to the survival of micro-cultures,” she said.