Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Apr 22: Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, J&K’s Ghulam Nabi Dar, founder of Sulabh International Bindeshwar Pathak and a host of other prominent persons were conferred with Padma Awards by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremonial function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Monday.
Dar was conferred Padma Shri in the field of Art. He is a renowned septuagenarian wood carving artisan whose dedication to his craft has garnered both state and national recognition. His journey as a craftsman began at the tender age of 10, when he first discovered his passion for working with wood.
Born on 3rd April, 1957, Dar’s artistic prowess flourished as he transitioned from traditional designs to creating his own unique works inspired by the breathtaking beauty of Kashmir’s natural landscapes. His keen eye for detail and his ability to capture the essence of nature in his carvings have earned him widespread acclaim.
Dar’s talent was officially recognized when he received a State award in 1984 for his outstanding contributions to the field of wood carving. Additionally, he had the opportunity to showcase his skills internationally, in Indonesia and Thailand including a memorable stint working in Baghdad in 1978 and Lichtenstein, Germany in 2003.
However, it was in 1995-96 that his craftsmanship reached new heights when he was honoured with the prestigious National award.
Pathak, who was given the award posthumously, and renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Subrahmanyam were conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.
Actor Mithun Chakraborty, singer Usha Uthup, former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik and industrialist Sitaram Jindal were conferred with the Padma Bhushan.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, among others, were present at the function.
Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian honours of the country, are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
The awards are given in various disciplines or fields of activities, viz art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and the Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.
The awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year.
For 2024, the President had approved conferment of 132 Padma awards, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one).
The list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 110 Padma Shri awards.
As many as 30 of the awardees are women and the list also includes eight people from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and nine posthumous awardees.
While almost half of the awardees were conferred the awards on Monday, the remaining are likely to get them next week.
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