World Autism Awareness Day: Fighting Disabilities, Mangaluru Youth Excels In Yakshagana Bhagavatika

Mangaluru: Mangaluru-based Bharat Prasad Puranik, who suffers from autism, has become a role model for others like him by successfully fighting against challenges commonly faced by such patients.

Unlike any other autistic person, Bharat can work as a data entry operator and also perform 'Yakshagana Bhagavatika'. Yakshagana is a unique art form combining dance, music and dialogue, and Bhagavatika refers to the singing style of the singer, who sings verses from Hindu epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Performing Yakshagana Bhagavatike needs special skills. Words having special meanings, including difficult Kannada ones, must be said as per the Yakshagana form.

Bharat performs Bhagavatike in the Yakshagana performance of Sanidhya Special School. In public Yakshagana performances, the voice of an expert, Bhagavatike, is used instead of his voice. However, on those occasions, he sings Bhagavatike, enhancing the Yakshagana performance. With his computer knowledge, Bharat handles data work at Sanidhya School. Bharat joined Sanidhya Residential School in Shaktinagar after completing ITI training.

Vasant Kumar Shetty, founder of Sanidhya Special School, said, "Bharat Prasad Puranik performs Yakshagana Bhagavatika very well. Along with this, he can enter data into the computer and has helped in digitising many books. He is 29 years old and stays in the hostel most of the time."

Bharat's teacher Akshata said Bharat joined the special school seven years ago. Whenever you assign him work, he will do it neatly and diligently, Akshata said.

According to Bharat, he loves learning new skills. "I have learnt computers. Along with data entry work, I perform Yakshagana Bhagavatika in Sanidhya. I am also learning bhajans and swimming", he said.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that usually starts at the infant stage. Some symptoms of autism are social communication disorders and restrictive and repetitive behaviour, interests and activities. The exact causes of such disabilities are unknown but research has shown that it is caused by genes and the environment. Individuals with autism have the ability to hear and understand in different ways.

In 2007, the United Nations declared April 2 as 'Autism Awareness Day'. The purpose of this day is to create awareness about autism, dispel misconceptions and promote the rights of individuals with autism. Various programmes and activities are held on this day to improve the quality of life of individuals suffering from autism globally. In this context, Bharat's achievements are remarkable.