Thiruvizha Jayashankar Wins Harivarasanam Award

Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned nagaswaram exponent Thiruvizha Jayashankar has been chosen for the Kerala government’s prestigious Harivarasanam award for the year, Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan said on Wednesday.

The award, announced annually ahead of the Makaravilakku at Sabarimala, will be presented to the 85-year-old artist at the Sannidhanam on January 14, the Makaravilakku day. Instituted in 2012, the award honours eminent musicians and artistes with expertise in temple art forms. It carries a cash prize of 1 lakh and a citation.

Jayashankar hails from Thiruvizha village near Cherthala in Alappuzha district and is a recipient of several state and central honours. Among the previous recipients of the award are KJ Yesudas, S P Balasubrahmanyam, MG Sreekumar, Gangai Amaran, KS Chitra and P Susheela and so on, the minister added.

Vasavan also said elaborate arrangements have been completed for the smooth conducting of the 'Thiruvabharanam' procession to the Sabarimala and to ensure smooth Makaravilakku darshan for pilgrims. "We hope lakhs of devotees, converging on Sabarimala Sannidhanam and its premises on the Makaravilakku Day, will have a hassle-free darshan of Makaravilakku," he added.

Responding to questions on the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the gold loss case at Sabarimala, Minister Vasavan said the High Court had recently expressed satisfaction with the progress of the investigation. The court had also directed the SIT to continue the probe without yielding to any external pressure, he said, adding that the government was fully satisfied with the investigation.

He reiterated that the state government cannot interfere in the day-to-day affairs or policy decisions of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the Sabarimala shrine.