Mangaluru: Mallikatte Park to be named after saxophone legend Kadri Gopalnath

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangluruu, February 3, 2025: The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced plans to honour saxophone legend Kalaimamani Kadri Gopalnath, by naming the park at Mallikatte, after him.

The proposal, put forward by Kadri ward Corporator Manohar Shetty, was approved during an MCC Council meeting, under the chairmanship of Mayor Manoj Kumar.

Shetty’s memorandum highlighted Gopalnath’s contributions to Carnatic music, notably his receipt of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004 for his excellence in instrumental (saxophone) performance, presented by President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Born to Taniyappa and Gangamma, Kadri Gopalnath was a trailblazer in the world of Carnatic music. His accolades include the Kalaimamani Award from the Tamil Nadu government and the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 1998. Gopalnath also made history as the first Carnatic musician to perform at the BBC Proms in 1994 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. He passed away on October 11, 2019, at the age of 69.

According to MCC Chief Whip Premanand Shetty, the proposal followed the required procedures and was initially discussed at a Council meeting in August 2023. After receiving approval, the next step is to send the proposal to the government after publishing an official notice in local newspapers to invite public suggestions and objections.

In addition to the park renaming, the MCC is working on naming several other significant locations in the city. These include the Circle near the Indian Medical Association Bhavan at Attavar, which will be renamed as ‘IMA Circle’, the Junction near Kuntikana, which will be called ‘Sri Bhakta Kanakadasa Circle’, and the Junction near the new DC Office Complex, which will be designated either ‘CA India Circle’ or ‘CA India Junction’.