Leading Bangladesh cultural organisation conferred Indian Government award

NEW DELHI: The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2015 is being conferred on Chhayanaut (a cultural organization of Bangladesh).

The Jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi unanimously decided to select Chhayanaut to be the recipient of the Tagore Award for the year 2015 in recognition of their outstanding contribution to cultural harmony.

Chhayanaut, established in 1961, has played a leading role in promoting Tagore’s works and Bengali culture, music and literature not only within Bangladesh, but all across the world. It has built a close bridge of understanding and cultural exchange between Bangladesh and India, especially West Bengal.


Chhayanaut was part of the movement for an independent Bangladesh and provided a platform for cultural expression and assertion of Bengali identity. When Rabindra Sangeet was banned in East Pakistan, Chhayanaut continued to promote liberal expression through secret renditions of Tagore songs and discussions on Tagore.

The jury's decision recognizes the contribution of the organization in upholding the liberal progressive tradition of universal humanism of Gurudev and in promoting the spirit of cultural harmony.

The annual award was instituted by the Government of India during the commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012 and second was conferred on Shri Zubin Mehta in 2013. The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/ handloom item. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex.