Eight honoured with Gaurav Puraskar
Chandigarh, February 2
Dr MS Randhawa’s 114th birth anniversary was celebrated today at Punjab Kala Bhawan as the Punjab Arts Council conferred the Gaurav Puraskar-2023 on eight recipients for their exemplary work in the field of art.
The programme was dedicated to the author, botanist, civil servant and historian MS Randhawa.
A medico by training, former Director General of Police, Meghalaya, and currently the Editor of Punjabi Tribune, Swaraj Bir Singh, was among those felicitated with the Gaurav Puraskar that included a citation and Rs 1 lakh cash. Punjab Arts Council chairman Surjit Patar called Singh a playwright, who gave a new lease of life to drama in Punjab and someone who stayed true to his friends despite the significant posts that he occupied.
The other recipients of the Gaurav Puraskar were Puran Chand Wadali (Sufi music), Shanno Khurana (Hindustani classical music), Manmohan Bawa (literature), Babu Singh Maan (lyricist), Om Parkash Gaso (literature), Anupam Sud (visual arts) and Sidharth (painter).
Khurana, who scaled new heights in classical music, couldn’t make it to the ceremony due to her health condition. “Shanno Khurana ji last year, at the age of 94, talked about being a lifelong student. She is one true example of chardi kalan,” said Patar.
Wadali, whose Sufi singing has won him international acclaim; Babu Singh Maan, whose lyrics are enjoyed by three generations; writer, painter and cartographer Bawa and the legendary writer Gaso were also present at the ceremony.
Anupam Sud, a renowned print-maker, described the moment as surreal, saying, “I feel like I am a spectator in this sea of art lovers.”
Sidharth, a painter, writer and filmmaker, whose works are part of the prestigious galleries around the world, said, “At this stage, being welcomed by your own is the biggest honour that one can crave for.”
The day was special for him for it was Randhawa, who was instrumental in getting him into Government College of Art, Chandigarh. “The bond I shared with him was truly special and I feel honoured to be here among people who value and appreciate Randhawa.” Dr MS Randhawa was also the founder of the Punjab Arts Council and on his birth anniversary, a five-day Dr MS Randhawa Arts and Literature Festival kickstarted on Thursday.
