Celebrating Cultural Heritage: INTACH Mandi Honors Local Artists and Writers
INTACH Mandi's Felicitation Ceremony
Munish Sood
MANDI:
The Mandi chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) hosted a special ceremony to recognize artists, writers, dramatists, and cultural contributors who have significantly impacted the preservation and promotion of the region's rich cultural heritage.
The event attracted notable citizens, literary figures, theatre personalities, and art enthusiasts from throughout the district. As a token of appreciation, INTACH Mandi presented selected artists and writers with mementos, citations, and traditional shawls.
During the event, INTACH-Mandi convener Naresh Malhotra welcomed the chief guest, emphasizing that fostering creative talent and highlighting local art forms has always been a fundamental goal of INTACH. He remarked that such recognition not only uplifts the spirits of artists but also aids them in achieving new milestones in their creative endeavors.
Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, in his address, reiterated the district administration's dedication to preserving and enhancing Mandi's art, culture, and heritage. He specifically highlighted the esteemed 'Mandi Kalam' art form and mentioned that several initiatives are in the pipeline for its promotion, set to be rolled out in the coming months.
Devgan assured that with active community involvement, the district administration would fully support all cultural initiatives aimed at protecting Mandi's diverse heritage. He encouraged artists, writers, and theatre practitioners to persist in nurturing local art forms, promising them comprehensive administrative support.
Co-convener Anil Sharma expressed gratitude to all participants, stating that INTACH would continue to back creative individuals and cultural workers, regularly organizing platforms to promote heritage conservation and artistic expression.
Recognizing Excellence in Various Cultural Fields
Awardees across cultural fields
In the painting category, Parul Kapoor, Praveen Rawat, Gaurav Sharma, and Kritika Kapoor Bisht were honored. For their literary contributions, Dilip Modgil, Indu Vaidya, and Satya Mahesh Sharma received accolades. Local folk dance artists Suman Pandit and Isha Dogra were also recognized.
Parul Arora was acknowledged for her efforts in preserving the Tankri script, while Deep Kumar was honored for promoting the Mandiyali dialect. In theatre, Daksha Upadhyay and Roop Upadhyay received awards.
Poets Dr. Mast Ram Saini, Latesh Kumar Sharma, and Surender Pal Vaidya were celebrated for their contributions to poetry. Additionally, Tarachand Patial and Kapil Chatterjee were recognized for their work in preserving the history of local deities.
The ceremony was attended by INTACH-Mandi officials, including Kamalkant Sharma, along with Dr. Harish Behl, Gajendra Behl, Harish Sharma, Rajeev Kumar, Capt. Yogendra Chandra Vaidya, Lalit Kapoor, Engineer Kamal Malhotra, Mahesh Puri, Sonia Behl, Indu Sharma, Banita Malhotra, Hemlata, Nishi Kapoor, Neeraj Sharma, and Prem Varsha.
Prominent literary figures such as Mandiyali poet Vinod Behl, Sunita Tandon, Rajeev Kapoor, Shamsher Singh, Umesh Sharma, and Umesh Bhardwaj were also present.
About INTACH
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a leading non-profit organization in India dedicated to heritage conservation. Established in 1984, INTACH focuses on safeguarding both tangible and intangible heritage, including monuments, traditional art forms, local languages, scripts, folk traditions, and cultural landscapes.
Through its various chapters across the nation, INTACH actively collaborates with communities to ensure the preservation of India's diverse cultural legacy for future generations.