India gives Padma awards to Lankan Dancer Vajira Chitrasena and Linguist the Late Indra Dassanayake

Source:Brisbane 4EB Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – December 2021

At a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Indian President’s residence in New Delhi, the President of India, Ramnath Kovind, presented the Padma awards for the year 2020.

Among the awardees were two personalities from Sri Lanka. Dr. Vajira Chitrasena and the Late Indra Dassanayake were awarded the Padma Shri for their contributions in the field of dance, and literature and education, respectively.

The Padma Awards are the fourth highest civilian honors of the Government of India that are announced annually on the Republic Day of India on the 26th January. The others are the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna. The award seeks to recognize distinguished services or achievements in diverse fields and disciplines.

Brisbane 4EB Sri Lankan Newsletter - Dæhæna - December 2021

While Ms. Vathsala Dassanayake Ishtaweera, daughter of Late Prof. Indra Dassanayake, travelled to India from Australia to receive the award from the President of India, in the presence of the Vice President and the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Vajira Chitrasena was presented the award on 17 November at Colombo by the High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka at a ceremony at the Temple Trees.

The Government of India is committed to recognizing individuals from diverse backgrounds who have rendered a ‘distinguished service’ to the society through their talents and achievements. In this connection, the contributions of veteran Kandyan dance exponent and guru Vajira Chitrasena, and linguist Prof. Indra Dassanayake, a well-known professor of Hindi at the Kelaniya University, to their individual fields, are noteworthy. They have both played important roles in further strengthening the cultural relations and the bonds of friendship between the people of India and Sri Lanka.

It may be recalled that before 2020, the Government of India honored musician and Magsaysay award winner W.D. Amaradeva by recognizing him with the ‘Padma Shri’ in the year 2002.