Dehradun: At the Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman Ceremony 2025 organized by the Uttarakhand Bhasha Sansthan at Mukhya Sevak Sadan, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami honored the state’s literary figures.
On this occasion, he announced that two modern “Literary Villages” will be established in the state to promote Uttarakhand as a literary tourism destination. These villages will provide modern facilities to writers and young authors for creative work.
During the ceremony, the Chief Minister conferred the state’s highest literary honor, the “Uttarakhand Sahitya Bhushan Samman,” on Dr. Jiten Thakur. Additionally, Dr. Buddhinath Mishra, Shyam Singh Koutola, Dr. Pritam Singh, Kesar Singh Rai, and Atae Sabir Afzal Manglauri were honored with awards for long-term excellence in literary creation.
Awards were also presented to outstanding writers in various fields and winners of the young writers’ competition. Under the Sahitya Nari Vandan Samman, Prof. Diva Bhatt was honored, while Prof. Dinesh Chamola received recognition for excellence in children’s literature. Under the Uttarakhand Maulik Rachna Award, Dr. Bhupendra Bisht, Dr. Sudha Jugran, and Shishpal Gusain were honored. Tara Pathak, Hemant Singh Bisht, and Gajendra Nautiyal were also recognized for excellence in Kumaoni and Garhwali literature.
The Chief Minister said that honoring the great literary personalities of the state is a matter of pride. He described Dr. Jiten Thakur as an inspiration not only for Uttarakhand but for the entire Hindi literary world.
He added that Uttarakhand has been a land of knowledge, culture, and creativity for centuries. Its Himalayas, the Ganga, and natural beauty have inspired many great writers and poets such as Sumitranandan Pant, Gaura Pant Shivani, Mohan Upreti, and Shailesh Matiyani.
He emphasized that literature is a mirror of society and writers act as guides. He also highlighted the important role of literary figures in the freedom movement and the formation of Uttarakhand state.
The Chief Minister stated that the government is committed to preserving and promoting literature and culture. Along with honoring writers through awards, financial assistance is also being provided for book publication.
He appealed to the state’s writers to use their works to promote Uttarakhand’s cultural and religious identity both nationally and internationally, and to continue guiding society in a positive direction.
