Renowned sculptors bestowed upon Gupta Award

Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, Nov 1 (UNI) Renowned sculptors and Padmasree awardees S M Ganapathi Stapathy and M Muthaiah Sthapathy have been conferred upon Gupta Award for 2006.

Whereas renowned poet, scholar and critic Kovela Sampathkumaracharya has been selected for the prestigious Sri Krishnamoorthy Sahitya Puraskaram award.

Announcing the awards here yesterday, Gupta Foundation chairman M M Gupta and secretary D V Subba Rao said Mr Ganapathi Stapathy, an expert in oriental architecture and silpa sasthras, was instrumental in constructing several important temples all over the world.

While M Muthaiah Sthapathi, the younger brother of Mr Ganapathi Stapathy, had undertaken several works, including carving of stone sculptures of Ramayana at Bhadrachalam and construction of two Rajagopurams and Bhramarambha Devi Vimanam at Srisailam besides building the five-storey Rajagopuram at Sri Satyanarayanaswami Temple at Annavaram.

Meenakshi Temple at Houston was also built by him, he said.

Mr Kovela Sampathkumaracharya, who worked as Telugu professor at Kakateeya University, had produced hundreds of scholars and Phds.

Adhering to classicism, Prof Sampath never ignored the modern trends in Telugu literature.

He was one among the quartet known as Chetanavarta poets. He is presently working on 'Guru padya vidya' covering different aspects of poetry.

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