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Asifabad: Congratulatory messages pour in for Kanaka Raju

In a telephonic chat with Raju, Indrakaran said he had brought recognition not just to Telangana, but to the traditional Gussadi by being selected for the award

By Telangana Today

Published Date - 26 January 2021, 09:46 PM

Asifabad: Congratulatory messages pour in for Kanaka Raju — Tribal community in Asifabad felicitating Padma Shri winner Ghusadi dance master Kanaka Raju.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Forest Minister A Indrakaran Reddy congratulated Gussadi dance trainer Kanaka Raju on being chosen for the Padma Shri award.

In a telephonic chat with Raju, Indrakaran said he had brought recognition not just to Telangana, but to the traditional Gussadi by being selected for the award. He observed that the tribal trainer played a vital role in preserving the art and introduced it to the external world. He stated that the honor would inspire other artistes of the art form.

Meanwhile, Congratulatory messages kept pouring in for Kanaka Raju who is the only person to be awarded Padma Sri. Sirpur (T) MLA Koneru Konappa, Asifabad MLA Koneru Konappa and ZP Chairperson Kovalaxmi were among those who congratulated the artiste. Tribal organisations expressed happiness over the honor to the artist.

A native of Marlavai in Jainoor mandal, Kanaka Raju is a popular dance master of traditional Gussadi dance form. He shot to fame when he led a troupe which presented the dance before the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in New Delhi in 1981. He has been striving hard for preserving the art form for four decades.

Tribal youngsters took to social media platforms and shared photos of Kanaka Raju, hailing him for winning the Padma Shri. They congratulated him for achieving the honor. They opined that Raju had rendered the art form with dexterity and had been producing talented artistes. They stated that he had enhanced an image of rich tribal cultures and traditions.