Ganayogi Panchakshara Gawai

Panchakshara Gawai was born on 2 February 1892 at Kadashettihalli in the Hangal taluk of Karnataka, and given the name Gadigeyya. Blind from birth, he and his elder brother Gurubasava both showed unusual musical ability, and Sri Kumara Swamiji of Hanagal arranged their training: first a musician from Tanjavur who taught them Carnatic music, then briefly one Bheemarao, then Gadigeyya of Shiralakoppa for eight years. He continued his studies at Mysore under Vidwan Venkataramanayya for four years, and on returning to Hanagal sang at the All India Veerashaiva convention, after which Kumara Swamiji gave him the name Panchakshara Gawai.

His Hindustani training came from the Kirana singer Abdul Wahid Khan, with advanced study under Nilakanthbua Alurmath of Miraj, Ramakrishnabuva Vaze and Baburao Rane. He became known as an expert in both the Carnatic and Hindustani styles and as a tabla player.

At his guru's instruction he began teaching blind and orphaned children, at one point more than a hundred of them in a mobile music school, and led the Kumareswara Krupaposhita Sangeeta–Sahitya Mahavidyalaya at Rona. He established a drama company to fund the feeding of those children, and land donated at Gadag became the Veereshwara Punyashrama, still a centre of music teaching. Among those he trained were Puttaraj Gawai, who succeeded him at the ashram, and the khayal singer Basavaraj Rajguru. He died on 11 June 1944. A Kannada film, Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai, is based on his life.