Dr. Joginder Habbi Receives Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from President

National Recognition for Sirmaur’s Hati Culture, Dr. Habbi Honoured

Three Decades of Dr. Habbi’s Dedication to Folk Culture Receives National Honour

In a joint statement, Padma Shri awardee, senior litterateur and expert of folk culture Vidyanand Saraik and Ustad Bismillah Khan Award recipient folk artist Gopal Habbi, stated that eminent personalities from across the country, who have made significant contributions in various fields of art, were honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu.

The grand award ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The ceremony commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu. On the occasion, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of State for for ministery of culture Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Shri Vivek Agarwal, Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Dr. Sandhya Purecha and several other dignitaries were present.

At the ceremony, internationally acclaimed folk artist Dr. Joginder Habbi, who has been dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the rich and endangered folk cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh, particularly Sirmaur, was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his outstanding contribution to the field of folk dance.

It is noteworthy that under the leadership of Dr. Habbi, folk artists have, for the past thirty to thirty-five years, created a distinctive identity for Sirmauri Hati culture on thousands of stages across India and abroad. They have remained committed to traditional folk practices by staying away from remixed songs and electronic musical instruments, while preserving the authenticity of folk instruments, traditional costumes, folk songs and folk dances, including Sirmauri Nati and several other traditional and endangered folk art forms.

His successful efforts towards giving Sirmauri Nati a global identity have also been recognised through achievements recorded in various international records. As a result of his long-standing dedication and service to folk culture, he has also been honoured with an honorary doctorate degree by a university abroad.

Padma Shri Vidyanand Saraik, Shri Gopal Habbi and hundreds of artists of Himachal Pradesh congratulated Dr. Habbi on this proud and historic achievement and expressed confidence that this honour will provide new impetus to efforts for the preservation of Himachal Pradesh’s folk arts and for connecting the younger generation with its cultural roots.