Mangaluru: Veteran artiste Bottikere Purushottama Poonja (68), a Yakshagana bhagavat known as “Abhinava Valmiki” and “Savyasachi of Yakshagana,” passed away on Saturday August 14.

Poonja was taken to the hospital as he became ill. He was not responding to the any medications.

Poonja was from Mangaluru’s Bottikere and he was a BSc graduate who served as the principal bhagavat of Kateel’s first Mela.

He has written 32 Kannada and Tulu works.

Bhagavath Poonja received numerous awards, including the Muddana award, the Mumbai Yaksha Manasa award, the Academy Book Literature Award, the Asranna award, and the Karnoor award, among others.

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