[3] He was born in a remote place called "Keremane" of Gunavante, in the Honnavar Taluk of Uttara Kannada District into a family of Havyaka Brahmins.
In 1934, though there was severe financial crisis in his family, he founded Idagunji Mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali with the money that he had saved from doing other works.
[4] His contributions include search and encouragement of best talents, performing of traditional episodes, a very effective and multidimensional depiction of a character of the Prasanga (the ‘act’) and extension of Yakshagana to wider geographical area.
He was famous for the wits in his dialogues and also for slow and vivid revealing of the character in a Prasanga('Act' or story) which is scarce in now a day performances.
The Yakshagana Mandali, founded by him, has proved its dynamic existence, by giving performances in various parts of the state, country and abroad.