Mangaluru: Veteran Yakshagana artiste Tonse Jayanth Kumar passed away in Udupi June 26 early morning. He was 78.
Kumar excelled as a Yakshagana Veshadhari and later as Yakshagana guru and contributed immensely to the field. He was the guru of the Udupi Yaksha Shikshana Trust and responsible for its success since the beginning.
He had received several honours including Yakshagana Akademi Award, Sri Rama Vithala Award and Yakshagana Kalaranga Award. He was also honoured by the Former President Shankar Dayal Sharma.
Kumar is survived by wife and three sons, said family sources.