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New Delhi : A doyen of Manipuri dance Rajkumar Singhajit Singh has been selected for the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the year 2014. He has distinguished himself both as an outstanding teacher, performer and choreographer. His choreography has been enriched by elements incorporated from various forms of performing arts of Manipur such as Thang-ta, Nata-Sankirtana, Lai-haraoba and Rasleela.
The award recognizes his contribution in keeping the tradition of Manipuri dance alive and vibrant, promoting harmony through dance and also pays tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, who, deeply influenced by Manipuri dance, made it an integral part of the education curriculum at Vishva Bharati.
The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2015 & 2016 is being conferred on the Chhayanaut (a cultural organisation of Bangladesh) and on one of India’s greatest sculptors Ram Vanji Sutar respectively.
The Jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising of the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, N Gopalaswami and Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe after detailed discussions on October 24, 2018, unanimously decided to select Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut and Ram Vanji Sutar as the recipients of the Tagore Award for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 respectively in recognition of their outstanding contribution to cultural harmony.
The annual award was instituted by the Government of India during the commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro, in 2012 and second was conferred on Zubin Mehta in 2013. The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/ handloom item.
The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex, according to a PIB release.