15 eminent Goans to receive state cultural awards

PANAJI: The directorate of art and culture will honour 15 eminent personalities in the field of art and culture by conferring the prestigious Goa state cultural award for their contribution and achievements in their respective fields of art such as music, drama / tiatr, folk art, bhajan, kirtan, craft, literature, painting etc. These awardees for the year 2013-14 have been nominated by keeping in mind the criteria that they have set an example to the youth of Goa by dedicating their life for promotion and preservation of art and culture of the state.
The recipients are Prabhakar Vithal Gaonkar and Balwant Baburao Shirgaonkar for theatre; Antonette Mendes, Josefina Dias and Lourenco Fernendes for tiatr; N Shivdas, Fr Vasco Rego, Jess Fernandes and Maria Aurora Couto for literature; Vithal Khandolkar and Chandrakant Vernekar for music; Narayan Arjun Haldankar for Bhajan; Ajit Painginkar for folk art, Mahendra Chodankar and Shivanand Khedekar for fine art.
The award comprises of a cash purse of 50,000 each, a certificate, shrifal, a Nataraj replica and shawl.
The government also honors one cultural institution every year in the field of art and cultural and for the year 2012-13 and this year, the award will be conferred on Shree Naguesh Mahalaxmi Prasadik Natyasamaj, Ponda. The award consists of a memento and cash prize of 1 lakh.
The awards for individuals and best cultural institution will be presented to the awardees at a special function to be organized by the department shortly.