Sonal Mansingh receives Srimanta Sankardeva Award 2023, Assam honours a cultural trailblazer

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 12, 2025

In a landmark celebration of India’s cultural and spiritual heritage, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh, a titan of Bharata Natyam and Odissi, was conferred the Srimanta Sankardeva Award 2023 by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya. The award ceremony, held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, was attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and other distinguished dignitaries.

The award recognizes Dr. Mansingh’s extraordinary contribution to Indian classical dance and her efforts to use art as a force for social change, women’s empowerment, and environmental consciousness.

“This award is not merely an honour—it’s a salute to a life dedicated to preserving, evolving, and elevating Indian cultural values,” Governor Acharya said, calling Mansingh a beacon of modern Indian heritage.

The event was equally a tribute to Srimanta Sankardeva, the 15th-century saint, artist, and reformer who pioneered the Bhakti movement in Assam and reshaped regional identity through Ek Saran Naam Dharma, inclusive social reform, and innovations in literature, music, and theatre.

Governor Acharya described Sankardeva as a visionary who transcended borders and centuries: “He wasn’t just a saint of Assam—he was a spiritual force whose teachings continue to inspire harmony and national unity.”

The Governor also highlighted ongoing state efforts to preserve Sankardeva’s legacy, including the Batadrava Cultural Complex, the development of Patbausi Satra and Srimanta Sankardeva Chairs established at JNU, Visva Bharati, Punjab University, with another planned at Tezpur University.

He urged youth to carry forward Sankardeva’s message by embracing India’s timeless values through culture, education, and service.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described Dr. Mansingh as a trailblazer who broke barriers—a performer, teacher, and reformer who gave new meaning to Indian classical dance by linking it with real-world struggles.

“Dr. Mansingh is more than a dancer—she’s a movement. Through her art and activism, she’s built a bridge between heritage and hope,” Sarma said.

He outlined several major initiatives under his government to honour Sankardeva’s contributions a Rs. 200 crores cultural complex at Batadrava, set to open in December, a Religious Tourism Circuit covering 21 sacred sites across Assam and West Bengal, a multi-lingual book on Sankardeva’s life in Assamese, English, Hindi, Bodo, Tiwa, Deuri, Dimasa, and other languages and an additional Rs. 100 crore to upgrade and expand Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra

“This award to Dr. Mansingh will inspire generations to understand the universal values of compassion, devotion, and inclusivity that Srimanta Sankardeva stood for,” the Chief Minister said.

In his address, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hailed Mansingh as a “guardian of classical traditions” who elevated dance into a medium for civic engagement and moral dialogue. He echoed Sankardeva’s ecological teachings and social philosophy.

“Srimanta Sankardeva envisioned a world rooted in balance—between communities, castes, and even man and nature,” Sonowal said. “That vision is as urgent today as it was then.”

Also present at the ceremony were Minister of Culture Bimal Bora, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, and eminent dancer Padma Bhushan Jatin Goswami, among others. The event underscored Assam’s deep commitment to nurturing both its spiritual traditions and its creative future.