15 Odia Craftpersons Among 30 Shilp Guru & National Awardees

New Delhi: The Shilp Guru and National Awards for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 were presented to as many as 15 artisans from Odisha on Monday in New Delhi by Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Two master artisans from Odisha are among the 30 Shilp Gurus chosen from across the nation to receive the honour for three years (2017, 2018, and 2019). They include Bijay Kumar Parida and Maheswar Parida, who excel in palm leaf engraving and stone carving respectively (both for the year 2018).

The Shilp Guru awards, established in 2002, are given to renowned master craftspeople in celebration of their masterful craftsmanship, superior products, and the role they performed as gurus in preserving crafts for other aspiring craftsmen as an essential component of traditional heritage.

The national awards for 2017 were conferred on Rakesh Maharana (stone carving), Biranchi Narayan Behera (painting), Pradeepta Kumar Nayak (straw craft), Sabita Mahapatra (Pattachitra), and Swarnalata Mahapatra (Tasar painting). Ranjan Moharana (stone carving), Santosh Senapati (palm leaf engraving), Sanghamitra Maharana (Pattachitra), Rajendra Kumar Meher (natural fibre tassar silk), and Kuni Patra (straw craft) got the award for 2018. Similarly, three artists Susanta Das (stone carving), Bijaylaxmi Swain, and Swapna Manjari Nayak (both pal leaf engraving) received the awards for 2019. The award, instituted in 1965, consists of `1 lakh prize money, a Tamra Patra, a shawl, and a certificate.