Yakshagana artist ‘Abhinava Valmiki’ Bottikere Purushottama Poonja no more

Team Udayavani, Aug 15, 2021, 8:49 AM IST

Mangaluru: Bottikere Purushottama Poonja (68), a Yakshagana bhagavat, famously called ‘Abhinava Valmiki’ and ‘Savyasachi of Yakshagana,’ died on Saturday night.

Poonja was admitted to the hospital after falling ill. But he died without responding to the treatment.

Poonja was from Bottikere in Mangaluru. He was a BSc graduate and served as the principal bhagavat of Kateel’s 1st Mela.

Purushottama Poonjar has written about 32 works in Kannada and Tulu.

His Yakshagana works “Ma Nishada,” “Ubhayakula Billoja,” “Nalinakshi Nandini,” “Megha Mayuri,” “Swarnanupura,” “Dalwai Muddana,” “Kudiyana Kombirel,” “Garudakenjave,” “Pattada kathi,” “Kudiyana Kann,” “Swarnakedage” and others were very popular.