Folk artiste, three others from state win Padma Shri awards

Hisar, January 27

Haryanvi folk artiste Mahabir Guddu and three others from the state have won the Padma Shri awards. Guddu has given stellar performances on stage shows with his folk songs and jokes for the last nearly 50 years.

A resident of Gangoli village in Jind district, Guddu is an icon for cultural artists, as his song ‘Bum lehri’ was extremely popular for several decades.

An MA, MEd, Guddu started performing on stage during his college days. He had served in the Haryana Sports Department till 1991, and later in the Education Department till 2020. He is now Additional Director in the Haryana Kala Parishad. “I am proud that I have been able to draw attention to Haryanvi folk art,” he said.

His achievements include being the leader of Haryana folk dance in the Folk Fest Loktarang organised by the Union Ministry of Culture at the Republic Day function four times, and Sangeet Natak Academy and Pt Lakhimachand awards.

He has also written and sung songs on ‘Right to Education’ , and released a CD on ‘Beti Bachao’.