Jamshedpur, Nov 1: The historic Adi Chitragupta Temple in Patna City, built during the reign of King Dhananand by his Prime Minister Mudra Rakshas, continues to uphold its tradition of honouring excellence through the Chitragupta Institution. Since 1962, the institution has recognized outstanding individuals from diverse fields across the country.
This year, under the leadership of President Kamal Nayan Srivastava, 44 eminent personalities were felicitated for their achievements in literature, dance, music, theatre, politics, and medicine. The event saw participation from Bihar and other regions including Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, and Muzaffarpur.
Highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Surendra Nath Saxena Memorial Literary Award, which honours exceptional contributions to Hindi literature. The award was conferred upon Pratibha Prasad ‘Kumkum’ of Jamshedpur, for her remarkable work in metrical poetry. Her acclaimed project “Chhandmālya” creatively reinterprets traditional poetic metres, bringing a modern perspective to classical Hindi verse.
So far, only twenty-two scholars across India have received this prestigious award. The recognition of Pratibha Prasad ‘Kumkum’ marks a moment of pride for Jharkhand and for the Hindi literary community. She has organized six successful editions of “Chhandmālya”, earning widespread appreciation for her dedication to preserving and innovating Hindi poetry.
At the ceremony, Kamal Nayan Srivastava and former Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad felicitated her with a shawl and a memento featuring Lord Chitragupta.
