Sattriya exponent Mallika Kandali among 5 from Assam to receive Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards

Guwahati: Popular actor of Assamese film industry Chetana Das and Sattriya exponent Mallika Kandali are among five persons from Assam to be honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the year 2024 and 2025.

Tokari geet (one type of Assamese folk song) exponent Hirak Jyoti Sarma is among the six honoured with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the year 2024 and 2025.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said his govt was committed to preserving and promoting the rich cultural traditions of the state.

Congratulating the recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the state, Sarma said Sattriya, folk traditions, theatre, music, and cultural roots define the people of Assam.

In a post on his ‘X’ handle, Sarma wrote: “As we accelerate Assam’s development journey, we remain equally committed towas preserving and promoting our rich virasat of Sattriya, folk traditions, theatre and music, for our cultural roots define who we are.”

The Sangeet Natak Akademi awards and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2024 and 2025 were announced on Wednesday.

The recipients of Sangeet Natak Akademi awards for the year 2024 are Prema Oja Borbayan for Sattriya dance and Bipul Chandra Das for Kathak dance, while the awardees for 2025 are Chetna Das for acting, Mallika Kandali for Sattriya dance and Bhaskar Jyoti Oja for Sattriya music.

The winners of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2024 are Minakshi Das for Sattriya dance, Dilip Hira for folk music and Bidyut Kumar Nath for theatre direction. The awardees for 2025 are Niranjan Saikia Borbayan for Sattriya dance, Debajit Saikia for Khol percusion and Hirak Jyoti Sarma for Takari geet (folk music).

Mallika Kandali, while speaking to the media, said she was extremely happy to be honoured with the prestigious award. “I am extremely happy. Recognition always inspires and encourages. This honour has brought back cherished memories of all the eminent personalities who played different important roles in my life as far as the Sattriya is concerned,” she added.

Training in Sattriya dance since she was eight, Kandali has been learning, practising and now teaching the art form. Sattriya is one of the major Indian classical dance forms that was introduced by the great neo-Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev, and Shri Madhavdev in 15th century.