Nishagandhi Puraskaram facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nishagandhi Puraskaram |
|
|---|---|
| Presented by | Kerala Tourism Department |
| Location | Trivandrum, Kerala |
| Country |  India |
| Reward | ₹150,000 (US$2,600), Citation & statuette |
| First awarded | 2013 |
| Last awarded | 2018 |
The Nishagandhi Puraskaram (also called the Nishagandhi award) is a special yearly award. It is given by the Tourism Department of Kerala in India. This award honors people who are very good at music and dance.
Winners receive 1,50,000 Indian Rupees (which is about $1,800 USD). They also get a special paper called a "citation" and a small statue. The award is part of the Nishagandhi Dance and Music Festival. This festival is a big cultural event held every year by the Tourism Department of Kerala.
The Nishagandhi festival lasts for seven days. It happens in January at the Nishagandhi amphitheater. This amphitheater is near the Kanakakkunnu Palace in Trivandrum. Trivandrum is the capital city of Kerala. The award started in 2013 to make the festival more famous across India and the world.
History of the Award
The Nishagandhi Puraskaram was first given out in 2013. The first winner was Mrinalini Sarabhai. She was a famous classical dancer.
Notable Winners
In 2014, Lalith J. Rao, a Hindustani musician, won the award. The next year, in 2015, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam received it. She is an expert in Bharata Natyam, a classical Indian dance style.
In 2016, the award went to Ilayaraja. He is a well-known musician from the Indian film music industry. He won for his great work in film music.
The Governor of Kerala, P. Sathasivam, gave the award in 2017. The winner was Bharati Shivaji, who is famous for Mohiniyattom dance. In 2018, the award went to V. P. Dhananjayan and Shantha Dhananjayan. They are a famous dance couple.
Award Winners
| Presented Year | Image | Winner | Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 |  |
Mrinalini Sarabhai | For her excellent classical dance. |
| 2014 |  |
Lalith J. Rao | For his work in Hindustani Classical Music. |
| 2015 |  |
Padma Subrahmanyam | For her important work in Bharata Natyam. |
| 2016 |  |
Ilaiyaraaja | For his great work in Indian film music. |
| 2017 |  |
Bharati Shivaji | For her work in Mohiniyattom. |
| 2018 |  |
V. P. Dhananjayan & Shantha Dhananjayan | For their work in Bharata Natyam. |
| 2019 |  |
Kalamandalam Kshemavathy | For her work in Mohiniyattam. |
| 2020 | C. V. Chandrasekhar | For his work in Bharatanatyam. |
