BR Mehta and Bhalku’s Family Honored at Second Day of Bhalku Smriti Yatra
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Shimla, April 13, 2025: The second day of the Bhalku Smriti Yatra, organized by the Himalaya Literature, Culture, and Environment Forum, witnessed a series of literary discussions and honoring ceremonies. The journey began at 8:30 AM with 31 writers boarding a bus from Shimla, first stopping at the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation’s Lalit Kufri. The group then moved to the Heritage Hotel Palace Chail for another literary session. Later, the writers visited Bhalku’s ancestral village, Jhajha, where they explored his old residence and met his family members.
The highlight of the day was the awards ceremony, where renowned AIR announcer and theatre artist, B.R. Mehta, was presented with the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” The sixth-generation family members of Bhalku, including Durga Datt, Ram Swaroop, Kanti Swaroop, and youth Sushil Kumar, were also honored with the Bhalku Smriti Award. The ceremony was beautifully conducted by Jagdish Bali.
After receiving the award, B.R. Mehta expressed gratitude for the Himalaya Forum’s efforts to preserve Bhalku’s memory, praising his significant contributions. Mehta also pointed out the neglect of Bhalku Park by both BJP and Congress governments, urging for its restoration. The Himalaya Forum members and former Additional Director of the State Audit Department raised the issue of extending the Kalka-Shimla railway line to Jhajha and creating a Bhalku Museum there.
Literary discussions and poetry sessions were held during the day, with writers like Raman Mishra, Neelam Kulshrestha, Jagdish Kashyap, and S.R. Harnot reciting poems. The forum also urged the government and Railways to extend Kalka-Shimla trains to Bhalku Museum.
