The folkpride of Kannada Region Nadoja Daroji Eeramma is being awarded by prestigious “JanapadaShree” for the year 2010. Thus she has upheld the folkglory of bellary once again.
By identifying her performance and achievement regarding “Burrakatha”, the State Govt. has selected her for the JanapadaShree award. In a memorable ceremony held in Banglore, on 22nd February 2012, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, D.V.Sadananda Gowda honoured Daroji Eeramma with the award.
Response
In her response the resipient of award, Daroji Eeramma expressed her joy and gratitude. In her house at old Daroji, she said that she is more happy that Government has recognized her talent, which basically originated from a nomadic community. She informed that, by training many girls of the community in this art, she has continuously tried to save and improvise Burrakatha.
Meanwhile, she remembered the tough time of her life too, as poverty is part of life always. Art of Burrakatha was not only a performance but she could also earn a little for her livelihood. Many times she narrated the story for just 2 kilos of maize. Some times she went to fields as daily labor, to cut weeds. Still she could not even think of letting down Burrakatha. The art ultimately became her passion for life
Joy
The Budga Jangama community has expressed their happiness and pride towards awardee Daroji Eeramma. A young artist of the community, Daroji Ramu told that the award not only goes to Eeramma but to the whole community. Many of the leaders have congratulated her.
Daroji Eeramma – a Biographical Note
Being an illiterate, nomadic Budga Jangama woman, Burrakatha Eeramma is a rare kind of uneven talent of Bellary. She is one among the great, unique achiever who dedicated her entire life for Folk Ballad, an eye catching performing art namely Burrakatha.
She has most of the stories – namely, Baalanagamma, Syasi chinnamma, Ellamma, Gangi-Gowri, KumaraRama, KrishnaGolla, Babbuli Naagareddi, AdoniLakshmamma, BaliChakravarthi, MaravaadiSathi, Jaisingh Raja and Mohammad Khan - on her tip of the tongue. She has translated more than 2,000,000 lyrical lines i.e., a vast unwritten literature of 7,00,000 pages from Telugu to Kannada. She is surely a multilingual talent. Her capacity of cramming amazes. She remembers every story-lyric, which is a heritage from her forefathers.
Eeramma is ripened age of 80 years now. With this memorable lifespan, she is still a vagabond lives in a small house. It, really is an Ashraya house allotted for her by State Govt. in Sandur Taluk. She is an illiterate but finds no obstacles in speaking -Kannada, Budga, Hindi,Telugu,Tamil- fluently.
Parents were her first Guru of art. She learnt instrumental music of Dimni, Gagguri, and Tamburi by them. Later on she could present folk epics and folk classics which can be written approximately in 7,000,ooo pages.
Published folk epics of Earamma.
Many research papers are being presented on folk epics narrated by Earamma. What if she is an illiterate ? With her unusual, super normal performances of Burrakatha, she has become a topic for research and study.
Prof.of kannada university, Hampi. Dr. Maitri, has guided a scholer named Sarikadevi L. Kalagi to write thesis on “Burrakatha Earamma -A study” to get her a Ph.D degree in the year of 2006.
Daroji Earamma has performed Burrakatha in thousands of villages, towns, cities and megacities including NewDelhi to spread the fragrance of folkepics and lyrical ballads since over 50 years. Aakashvani has broadcasted her narration many times.
In the year of 2007, the organization “Vaadana Todu” had organized “international nomadic woman’s justice board conference” at Newdelhi and Daroji Earamma was the only woman being selected from Karnataka. She presented KumaraRamaKatha on that very special occasion and received appreciation of conference. She met the president Pratibha Devi Patil over there and had a discussion too.Those were the moments of pride and joy for her and all who knows her and to whom she belongs.
Nadoja Award
Many prestigious awards, honours of state and nation and prizes have arrived in search of Daroji Earamma. Kannada university of Hampi has honoured her with it’s award of Nadoja which normaly is given to finest lifetime achievement of one.
It was given to her on 15th convocation day of the university. Her honours include-
Rajyotsava award for the year 1999,
Dr.B.R.Ambedkar award of Social Welfare Department of Karnataka in 2003
VijayaVitala award of Bellary, Aalwas Nudisiri award, Dr. Rajkumar award, Sandesha kalaaprashasti, Burrakatha Kalashree award, and many more.
A biography of Daroji Earamma has been published.She is a living legend of her time. If she begins her Pallavi with the rhythm and melody of “tandaana tandaana taana taana tandaana …” and so continues …there will be nobody to stop and listen to it for a while.
