Kala Samman Awards Evening to commemorate excellence in Art and Culture in Gurugram
In a scintillating event on the eve of Independence Day, the second Kala Samman Awards were bestowed to luminaries from the art, music, literature world. The evening was inaugurated with lamp lighting by the Women & Child Development Minister Kamlesh Dhanda, the Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram, Nishant Kumar Yadav, along with Additional Deputy Commissioner Hitesh Kumar Meena and Shikha Agarwal, Coordinator Kalagram. The CEO, Zila Parishad, was also present on the occasion.
Kala Samman Awards, the second in a row this year, is an initiative of Kalagram, Society for Fine Art Initiatives in Gurugram, an arm of the Gurugram administration, to promote art and culture in the city. The evening was graced by the stars from the creative fraternity residing in Gurugram and having worked to promote the cause in the city apart from government dignitaries. Last year’s award winners also graced the occasion with their presence to support and promote the cause.
Krishen Khanna, the art maestro and recipient of Padma Bhushan was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Bandwala, Portraits of Three Persons, and Portrait of a Person are some of his renowned works. The self-taught artist, a prodigy, is the recipient of a Rockefeller Fellowship.
The first award in the category was given to Ansh Batra, an artist with autism. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the veteran artist of international fame, 98 years old Kishen Khanna. The audience and the award winners were in awe of his presence and charisma. The grace of age and demeanour was evident. Kala Karnadhar, Youth Icon award was given to Rahul Dua. The State Minister for Women & Child Development, Kamlesh Yadav, encouraged the audience and said, “Art and culture are the cornerstones of every city.”
Award Categories
Other awards categories and recipients included Kala Gaurav – Instrumental (Tabla)
Sh. Sarthak Kumar Mohanty, Kala Gaurav – Creative Art (Film) Pramod Kumar Punhana
Kala Gaurav (Theatre) Arun Marwah, Kala Ratna (Kathak) Rachna Yadav, Kala Ratna (Hindustani Vocal) Rama Sundar Ranganathan, Kala Ratna ( Art and Culture Dedication)
Uma Prakash, Kala Ratna (Art and Culture Dedication)Tarun Thakral, Kala Ratna (Visual Arts)
Kavita Jaiswal, Kala Ratna (Poetry) Ghamandi Lal Agrawal, Kala Nidhi (Photography) Akash Das. The Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram, Nishant Yadav, the Chairperson of Kalagram, was awarded the title of Kala Sangrakshak.
The award nomination was sent out in the public domain, and after three rigorous rounds of scanning and shortlisting, the awards were announced. The Kalagram Committee members and jury members, under the DC’s guidance, played a pivotal role in the entire process. The members of the Kalagram Committee are individuals from distinguished backgrounds, renowned in their fields of work-Gopal Namjoshi(Renowned installation Artist), Vineeta Jerath Grover (co-founder & editor Suburb Gurgaon’s Lifestyle magazine), Dr Lokesh Sharma(HOD Music, Govt. Girls college), Dr Minakshi Pandey (Associate prof & Cultural Dean, Dronacharya college), Shilpa Sonal (Social activist & former chairperson of Spic MaCay Gurugram), Shikha Agarwal (artist and director of Kalagram). The jury members also included Bijender Kumar (DIPRO) and Sharad Kohli (journalist).
Overall it was a packed evening in the auditorium with who’s who from the city. The entire evening was curated to celebrate the richness of Indian culture; some exceptionally crafted performances by the troupe of renowned Odissi dancer Geetanjali Acharya added to the vibe. Patriotic fervour was seamlessly weaved in by the well-known vocalist Rajesh Antil. The synchronicity and grace of the Kathak dancers and Anu Rawal presented volumes about the popular old dance form. All good things come to an end, and so did the pulsating evening with the National Anthem. A sense of patriotic fervour resounded in the auditorium.
