Richard Alvares Kulshekar and Bejai Parish Honored with Raknno Awards 2025
Mangalore: Renowned Konknni writer Richard Alvares Kulshekar and ‘Izoicho Kollo’, the parish magazine from St Francis Xavier Church Bejai, Mangalore, were celebrated as recipients of the prestigious ‘Raknno – Best Author of the Year 2025’ and ‘Raknno – Best Parish Magazine 2025’ awards, respectively. The awards ceremony took place on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at Bajpe Parish Hall.
The Bishop of Mangalore, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, presented the awards, accompanied by Raknno Editor Rev. Rupesh Madtha, Rev. Andrew D’Souza, Stany D’Souza, and Prasanna D’Souza. The event, organized in collaboration with Bajpe Parish, commenced with an opening prayer led by parishioners. Fr. Rupesh Madtha extended a warm welcome to the attendees following the inauguration.
Dr. Edward Nazareth provided an introduction to the esteemed awardees, after which the Bishop conferred the awards. Richard Alvares and Godwin Pinto, editors of ‘Izoicho Kollo’, shared their reflections and expressed their gratitude to the organizers for the recognition.
Raknno, a bilingual Konknni-English weekly publication managed by the Diocese of Mangalore since 1938, serves as a platform for spiritual, social, cultural, and political analysis for Konknni readers worldwide. Since the previous year, Raknno has been dedicated to honoring literary contributions through its prestigious awards, aimed at fostering Konknni literature. Entries are meticulously reviewed by a selection committee to identify the most outstanding works for the two annual awards.
Konknni Writers Gathering and Book Releases
The awards program also featured the release of ‘Bhorvoshachye Vater’ (On the Way of Hope), the 134th book published by Raknno, and “St Carlo Acutis,” a book publication by Mangalajyothi. Following the formal ceremony, attendees were treated to two insightful presentations on the history of Konknni literature and the significance of reading in the digital age, delivered by renowned writers Rev. Francis D’Souza and Muddu Theerthahalli, respectively. A discussion on Konknni literature, moderated by Rev. Rupesh Madtha, followed the presentations.
Mementos were presented to all guests and speakers in appreciation of their contributions. Mrs. Lavi Ganjimatt served as the event’s compere, while Pramod Hospet oversaw logistics, and Francis D’Cunha Mulki delivered the vote of thanks. The event was attended by approximately 200 distinguished writers, including Dolphy Cascia, Richard Moras, Fr. A D’Lima, and Stany Bela. The program concluded with lunch at 1 pm.