In a grand ceremony held at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow on Friday, approximately 51 artistes specializing in music, dance, theatre, and folk arts were conferred with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. The event recognized talents selected for the years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, with the awards being presented in a single felicitation ceremony.
Chief Guest and Governor's Message
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak graced the occasion as the chief guest and distributed the awards. He also conveyed the message of Governor Anandiben Patel, who was unable to attend the event. In her message, the governor emphasized the importance of honoring practitioners and artistes who, through discipline and dedication, are preserving these traditions in an era of modernity and technological revolution.
Recipients of Safdar Hashmi and BM Shah Awards
The ceremony saw the presentation of the Safdar Hashmi Award and the BM Shah Award for each year. For 2021, Manoj Kumar Mishra from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh received the Safdar Hashmi Award, while Satish Anand of Delhi was honored with the BM Shah Award. In 2022, Rajesh Singh of New Delhi bagged the Safdar Hashmi Award, and Kamal Jain from Bhopal received the BM Shah Award. The Safdar Hashmi Award for 2023 was given to Ajay Kumar of Ghaziabad, and the BM Shah Award to Ravishankar Khare of Gorakhpur. For 2024, Shubhdeep Raha of Lucknow was presented with the Safdar Hashmi Award, and Sanjay Mehta of Bhopal received the BM Shah Award.
The event celebrated the rich cultural heritage of India and acknowledged the contributions of these artistes in keeping the arts alive and thriving.
