LONDON: Dr M N Nandakumara, Executive Director of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London, and Sivasakthi Sivanesan, Resident Carnatic Music at the Bhavan have received Lifetime Achievement Award and Sangeet Acharya Ratna Award respectively for their contribution to Indian arts and music.
Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Ranjan Mathai presented the awards, to Nandakumara and Sivasakthi at a function held at the Nehru centre recently.
This is the first ever National Indian Arts Awards hosted by Indian arts development trust Milapfest.
Milapfest established the awards in order to recognise the dedication of arts professionals working in the field of Indian arts and to celebrate the hard work and passion of young artists.
"The establishment of these awards will create a better understanding of how such selfless work empowers and enriches the younger generation, and how it helps build bridges between communities and people," Milapfests Executive Director Prashant Nayak said.
The citation said the two Bhavanites are worthy winners whose selfless commitment propels the Bhavan to fulfil its mission of teaching and promoting traditional Indian arts and culture in the UK.
Dr Nandakumara has spent virtually all of his working life at The Bhavan. He taught Sanskrit at the Bhavan whilst taking his PhD in devotional literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He commenced full-time work at the Bhavan in 1984 and took the helm as Executive Director in 1996.
Sivasakthi Sivanesan has been teaching carnatic vocal and Vina at the Bhavan. An outstanding performer in her own right, she passes on the knowledge of centuries of music through teaching in the traditional guru-shishya way.
The awards were supported by Arts Council England whose Deputy Chief Executive Ms Althea Efunshile extolled the role of arts and culture. "They are about the search for personal fulfilment, about strong families and friendships, about bringing joy to our learning, and about promoting the bond between grandparents, parents and children, through the way that we hand on our culture, revere the memory of where we come from - and celebrate the world we now all share."
Other award recipients were Mrs Pushkala Gopal (Nritya Acharya Award), Jasdeep Singh Degun (Tarang Musician of the year), Sanjuran Keerthikumar (Samyo Musician of the Year), Yarline Thanabalasingham (Young Musician of the Year) and Parbati Chaudhury (Young Dancer of the Year).
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