Bhalku Smriti Yatra: B.R. Mehta to Get Lifetime Achievement Award, Descendants to Be Honoured

Shimla, April 8, 2025

The Himalaya Sahitya Sanskriti evam Paryavaran Manch will felicitate distinguished personalities and descendants of Bhalku during the “Bhalku Smriti Kalka-Shimla Rail Literary Journey” aimed at preserving the memories of legendary railway guide Baba Bhalku.

Renowned former All India Radio announcer, theatre artist, and President of Baba Bhalku Smriti evam Jan Vikas Samiti-Chail, Mr. B.R. Mehta will be conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award for his remarkable contributions to broadcasting and theatre. Additionally, Bhalku’s sixth-generation descendants — Durga Dutt Thakur, Shanti Swaroop Thakur, and Kanti Swaroop Thakur — will be honoured with the Bhalku Smriti Samman. Horticulturist Shri Sushil Kumar Verma will also be felicitated for his support in the initiative. This information was shared by the Manch’s President, Shri S.R. Harnot, during a media briefing today.

Mr. Mehta has rendered 37 years of service with AIR in Shimla, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Suratgarh. Apart from writing plays, he has performed and staged several acclaimed works by leading dramatists. His radio play “Roshni Ki Ore” written for AIR Shimla in 1999, won a national award in the All India Radio Drama Competition. He has also played a pivotal role in forming the Baba Bhalku Smriti evam Jan Vikas Samiti and in the installation of Baba Bhalku’s statue in Chail Bazaar.

Harnot also shared that Bhalku’s descendant, Durga Datt Thakur, has preserved rare British-era documents including Bhalku’s appointment letter, wherein he was honoured with the title of Overseer for his exemplary work on the Hindustan-Tibet Road.

The two-day literary journey will begin on April 12, with participating 33 writers travelling from Shimla to Barog and back. On April 13, they will travel to Jhaja, Chail — Bhalku’s ancestral village — where the felicitation ceremony will be held.