Panaji: December 26, 2014 …. The Presentation Ceremony of the Goa State Cultural Awards of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa will be held on Sunday January 4, 2015, at 4.30 p.m. at the Institute Menezes Braganza hall at Panaji-Goa. Shri Shyam Benegal, famous Indian Film Director and Script Writer will be the Chief Guest.
Directorate of Art and culture, every year presents State Cultural Awards to eminent Goan personalities who have made extraordinary contribution in their respective field of Art and Culture and have dedicated their life for the promotion and preservation of the same thereby setting an example for the youth in the state.
The Department will honour 15 such eminent personalities in the field of Art and Culture with the prestigious ‘Goa State Cultural Award’ for their contribution and achievements in their respective art forms like Music Drama/Tiatr, Folk Art, Bhajan, Kirtan, Craft, Literature, Painting etc. The awards that will be conferred for the year 2013-14.
Recipients of ‘Goa State Cultural Award 2013-14 are namely Shri Prabhakar Vithal Gaonkar in the field of Theatre (Drama), Late Shri Balwant Baburao Shirgaonkar in Theatre (Drama), Smt. Antonette Mendes in Theatre (Tiatr), Smt. Josefina Dias in Theatre (Tiatr), Shri Lourenco Fernandes in Theatre (Tiatr), Shri N. Shivdas in Literature, Fr. Vasco Rego in Literature, Shri Jess Fernandes in Literature, Smt. Maria Aurora Couto in Literature, Shri Vithal Khandolkar in Music, Shri Chandrakant Vernekar in Music, Shri Narayan Arjun Haldankar in Bhajan, Shri Ajit Paiginkar in Folk Art, Shri Mahendra Chodankar, in Fine Art, Shri Shivanand Khedekar in Fine Art.
The Awards to individuals comprises of a cash of Rs. 50,000/- each, a certificate, Shrifal, Nataraj Replica and Shawl. The Best Cultural Institution award for the year 2013-14 will be conferred on Shree Naguesh Mahalaxmi Prasadik Natyasamaj Ponda-Goa. The award consists of a Memento and cash purse of Rs. 1.00 Lakh.
Directorate of Art and Culture hereby kindly request all the artists, members of the Art Institutions and Art lovers to be present on the occasion to witness the ceremony.