The prestigious Kala Gaurav Puraskar 2023-24 ceremony was held at the Kala Academy on Tuesday, showcasing a magnificent celebration that acknowledged and lauded excellence across diverse artistic realms. The event served as a platform to honour the visionaries, maestros, and torchbearers who have played pivotal roles in preserving and advancing Goa's opulent artistic heritage.
The Kala Gaurav Puraskar is one of the schemes of the Art & Culture Department under which renowned personalities who have excelled and given extraordinary contribution in their respective field of Art and Culture are honoured by the Government every year.
Under the said scheme the artist who have attained the age of 60 years and have contributed in the field of Music/Dance, Drama /Tiatr, Folk Art, Creative Photography/Painting, Craft, Sculpture, Bhajan/Kartan, Literature, Film are felicitated by presenting this prestigious award.
Every year total thirty personalities from the field of Art and Culture are selected for the said award. This year the committee finalised to felicitate 30 deserving artists. The awardees were honoured with a shawl, shrifal, a certificate of' appreciation and a financial purse to the extent of Rs. 25.000/- per awardee.
The artists who were presented the Kala Gaurav Puraskar for the year 2023-24 are - in the field of Drama. Vinayak Manmohan Nagvekar, Keshav A. Nadkarni, Sadanand Ganesh Govekar, Savlo Dharma Naik, Dattatray Vinayak Barve, Avinash Anant Purkhe, Sagar V.N.Panvelkar, Sandip Dattu Naik Gaonkar and Kishor Vithal Narvekar
Literature - Shambhu Bhau Bandekar, Sunil Hart Palkar and Mechana Gajanan Kurundwadkar.
Tiatr - Zefenno Dias, Ana Maria Apolonia Rebello e D'Cruz, Joaquim Jose Fernandes, Rosario E. Botclho and Joao Batista Lucas D'Souza
Bhajan - Betu Omu Kavickar, Gajanan Pandhari Naik, Jairam Pandurang Dessai and Chintamani Arjun Talavnckar:
Kirtan - Vishnu Dharma Mhamal.
Indian Music - Jeevan Rama Naik,
Wester Music - Agnelo Joao Femandes
Folk Art - Chandrakant Pandurang Jalmi, Cabriel Dias, Subhadara Arjun Gawas and Vasant Anta Gaude
Craft - Pramila Mishwanath Betkikar and
Painting - Shnikant Shenvi Kerkar.