Writer’s Academy Felicitates Kalaratna and Ugadi Puraskar Awardees
Text By: M Bharathi
A grand celebration marked the felicitation of this year’s Kalaratna and Ugadi Puraskar awardees, hosted by the Writer’s Academy in association with Leader newspaper. Held at the District Public Library on Monday, the event honored individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the fields of art, music, magic, criticism, and journalism.
The event was graced by Sri P G V R NAIDU(Ganababu) Whip of the State Government, Member of Legislature, West Constituency, Visakhapatnam who was the chief guest. Being an International Volleyball player ,he is known for his deep admiration and respect for Indian arts and artists, Sri Gannababu remained present throughout the entire ceremony, personally felicitating each awardee. In his speech, he fondly recalled the golden days when kings patronized artists and emphasized the importance of reviving such recognition in today’s society.
Awardees Honored Across Artistic Fields
The following individuals were felicitated with the Kalaratna Awards:
• B.S. Reddy – for excellence in Magic
• Prof. K. Saraswathi Vidyarthi – for contributions to Music
• Palgunuri Rajagopal – as a leading art critic
• Sunkara Chalapathi Rao – in the field of painting.
Ugadi Puraskar to
• B.R. Vikram Kumar – for his excellence in cultural journalism .Otherawardees who also were felicitated:
Dr Amukta Malyada( Dance)
Sirela Sanyasi Rao(Literature)
Dr Bandi Satyanarayana(Literature)
Guntuku VenkataRao((Music)
T Hema Venkateswari(Theatres)
Meka Vijayakumar(art with millets)
Sri Gannababu appreciated the achievements of the awardees and praised their commitment to promoting their respective art forms. He stressed that arts and literature deserve the same recognition and encouragement as sports, especially among youth and children, where such passions should be nurtured from a young age.
Leadership in Promoting Arts
The event also highlighted the vision and dedication of Writer’s Academy Chairman, V.V. Ramanamurthy, whose tireless work to promote and encourage the arts has earned him widespread respect. His unwavering love for art and artists was evident throughout the ceremony, which stood as a true mirror of his passion and values.
The awardees expressed their immense happiness and gratitude, sharing that while receiving recognition from the government is a great honor, being felicitated in their own place and community made the moment even more special and emotionally fulfilling.
The event was hosted by Mr. Ramanamurthy and was attended by a large gathering of art lovers, cultural enthusiasts, and well-wishers, making it a resounding success and a celebration of India’s rich artistic heritage.
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