Chandigarh Administration, 29 Nov:
The Governor of Punjab & Administrator UT Chandigarh and Chairman North Zone Cultural Center (NZCC) Banwarilal Purohit will give the Folk Artists Honour Awards to four artistes excelling in various spectrums of folk art, on the occasion of inauguration of the 13th edition of the Chandigarh National Crafts Mela-23, organised by NZCC in association with the Department of Cultural Affairs, Chandigarh Adminstration.
Prominent among the proud recipients of this coveted award this year are Vasudev Bhatt (Rajasthan) and Subhash Nagada (Haryana) in the Folk Music category. Similarly, in the 'Folk Dance' category, Khemraj of (Jammu and Kashmir) and Swaran Singh (Punjab). The institution of awards were announced in the meeting of Board of Governors, last year. Applications for the awards were invited and the selection process was carried out by a jury comprising of renowned experts .
NZCC Director M. Furqan Khan on the occasion informed that these awards would be given every year under two categories of folk art - 'Folk Music' and 'Folk Dance', adding that that the award will carry a cash of award of Rs 5 lakh each. He said that this time around, since two artistes have been jointly selected for the award under the given categories, the award amount will be shared equally by them. The Director further informed that under the rules in place, those folk artistes were eligible for the award who had attained the age of 50 years or above, and had dedicated their lives to folk arts.
Vasudev Bhatt, hailing from Rajasthan, known for its rich cultural heritage,is an iconic artiste of the prominent folk theatre - 'Jaipur Tamasha'. He has experimented with the traditional 'Tamasha' style to rustle the best out of it and take it forward for posterity. He has created his own shades in a typical tradition to enrich the rare of the rarest art form.
Subhash Nagada (Haryana) Subhash Nagada is the folk artiste from Rohtak district of Haryana who has consciously chosen Nagada playing, a dwindling art form, dedicating himself, heart and soul, to this ancient art. He never let his problems of hearth and home demotivate and distract him from his chosen mission - to patronize and promote Nagada playing with aplomb amongst all generations to come.
Khemraj (J&K) Khemraj, a native of Udhampur, is an ace artiste of 'Kudd', a spectacular folk dance of Jammu and Kashmir. He has dedicated his entire lifespan to the preservation and promotion of the folk dance. In 2015, he bagged the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. May it sound puerile, he is going steady with his art at the age of 73. His contribution to taking forward the popular folk dance to the length and breadth of the country can never be forgotten. Swaran Singh (Punjab) Swarn Singh, hailing from Mohali in Punjab, is a household name among the illustrious galaxy of folk dance artistes, Bhangra to be precise. He has given his scintillating performances in various states of the country and abroad. He is actively engaged in teaching the niceties of the nuanced dance form - Bhangra - to the young and old learners.