Dr. Mahendra Bhanawat Honored by Rajasthan Sahitya Academy

Udaipur. Recognizing the relentless dedication of the pen and paper, the prominent folklorist, Dr. Mahendra Bhanawat, was recently honoured by the Rajasthan Sahitya Academy. The President of the Academy, Dularam Saharan, and Secretary Basant Solanki visited his residence. They presented him with a cheque of fifty-one thousand rupees, a shawl, and a certificate of recognition. Dr Bhanawat has been honoured as a distinguished literary figure by the Academy for his remarkable contributions to literature, folklore, and atomic philosophy. To date, he has authored a hundred and six books on various literary and cultural aspects.

Having witnessed the spring of life, Dr Bhanawat continues to flourish as a creative soul in the comfort of his home. On this occasion, the President of the Sahitya Academy, Dularam Saharan, expressed that it is a tradition of the Academy to honor senior and accomplished authors. Such felicitation is regarded as a virtuous tradition that bequeaths respect upon the honored author. Secretary Basant Solanki presented a shawl to Dr. Bhanawat and extended wishes for his good health and longevity. Not long ago, Saharan had also bestowed similar recognition upon distinguished litterateur Govardhan Singh Shekhawat at his residence in Sikar.

Renowned literary figure Kishan Dadheech praised Saharan's way of carrying out these honors, stating that the Academy is honoured itself when it pays homage to authors at their homes. Dadheech emphasized that this honour is not only for Dr Bhanawat but also reflects the reverence for the entire Mewar region. It is worth mentioning that Dr Bhanawat was previously awarded the prestigious honour of Rs. 1.51 lakh by the Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan.

In acknowledgement of the Academy's gesture, Dr. Bhanawat expressed his gratitude and highlighted how society has always regarded folklore as second-class literature. However, he feels content knowing that he has written over fifty research papers on the topic he first wrote about. During the ceremony, Dr. Bhanawat also presented a book to Academy President Saharan, "Lokdevata Veer Kallaji Rathore," and another one, "Nirbhay Miran." He further explained how his quest for Meera's connection with Lord Krishna led him to explore the various regions during his six provincial journeys.

The event commenced with a warm welcome from Dr. Bhanawat's family, Dr. Tuktak, and Ranjana, to the esteemed guests.