Munish Sood
MANDI:
The Hemkant Memorial Trust, Mandi, will honour four distinguished personalities from the fields of journalism, literature and music-art at the Adaranjali-2025 ceremony, to be held on December 25 to mark the 83rd birth anniversary of noted journalist, educationist, literature and art connoisseur late Hemkant Katyayan.
The annual honours are instituted in the memory of Hemkant Katyayan, whose multifaceted contribution to journalism, education and culture left a lasting imprint on Himachal Pradesh’s intellectual landscape. The awards will be presented during a formal ceremony organised by the Trust.
Sharing details of the event, Siddharth Katyayan, son of the late Hemkant Katyayan and convener of the ceremony, said that the award selection committee, under the chairpersonship of Trust president Nirmala Katyayan, had finalised the names of this year’s awardees.
The Hemkant Katyayan Memorial Journalism Inspiration Award for 2025 will be conferred on senior journalist Pandit Krishna Bhanu, a veteran and influential voice in Himachal journalism. The Literary Service Award will be presented to senior and veteran litterateur Krishna Kumar ‘Nutan’, while the Music-Art Award will be bestowed posthumously on renowned music exponent late Piyush Swami and jointly on his disciple and current director of Sangeet Sadan, Umesh Bhardwaj.
Pandit Krishna Bhanu has been described as one of the strongest signatures of journalism in Himachal Pradesh. Beginning his journalistic journey in Bhehna and later in Mandi town, he rose through sheer perseverance and commitment, navigating years of struggle to reach the pinnacle of the profession. He holds the distinction of being the first journalist from Mandi district to establish a strong journalistic presence in the state capital, Shimla.
During his career, he served as state head of the Hindi daily Veer Pratap and left a distinct mark through his writings in leading national newspapers, including Rashtriya Sahara, Dainik Bhaskar, Amar Ujala and Ajit Samachar. His contribution extended to electronic media as well.
Pandit Bhanu has held several important positions, including vice-president of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha Press Gallery Committee, president of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Press Gallery, six-time president and three-time general secretary of the Shimla Press Club, member of the State Juvenile Justice Board, vice-president of the Himachal Journalists Federation and chief patron of the Himachal Journalists Parliament. He has also been serving as president of the Shimla Journalists HB Cooperative Society Limited for the past 25 years.
Veteran writer Krishna Kumar ‘Nutan’, being honoured with the Literary Service Award, is widely known for his popular Hindi film song “Gaya Pattharon Ne”. He also spent a significant phase of his life in Mumbai, where he had the opportunity to work alongside legendary personalities such as Guru Dutt, Balraj Sahni, Ramanand Sagar and lyricist Gulzar.
His literary contributions have earned him several accolades, including the prestigious Guleria Award for his book “Itihas Sakshi Hai”, conferred by the Department of Language and Culture. Nutan has served for a long period as a member of the Himachal Academy of Art, Culture and Language, and has authored around 20 books spanning Hindi short stories, poetry and novels.
In the field of music, the Trust will honour the legacy of late Piyush Swami, a distinguished music scholar born in Mandi on April 26, 1941. After completing his M.A. in Music from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad, he served in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, and retired as Superintendent.
More importantly, he laid the foundation of Sangeet Sadan in Mandi to provide systematic music training. A master of multiple musical instruments and a specialist in Dhrupad-Dhamar singing, Swami nurtured generations of students, many of whom have carved a distinct identity in India and abroad.
Following his demise, the responsibility of running Sangeet Sadan was entrusted to his eminent disciple Umesh Bhardwaj. For the past 46 years, the institution has been imparting quality education in vocal music, instrumental music and dance. Umesh Bhardwaj, a well-established name in music training, holds a postgraduate degree in vocal music and graduate degrees in sitar and tabla.
Coming from a family with a rich musical environment — his father being associated with ghazal and qawwali singing — his life has remained dedicated to musical pursuit. He began his formal training at Sangeet Sadan in the 1980s and started working as his guru’s assistant in 1999.
Guided by his guru’s philosophy of teaching as a lifelong student rather than as an “ustad”, he has played a key role in giving Mandi’s musical talent a wider identity. In recognition of these sustained efforts, Umesh Bhardwaj and Sangeet Sadan, Mandi, will be honoured with the Excellence in Art Award.
The Hemkant Memorial Trust stated that the Adaranjali-2025 ceremony aims to celebrate excellence, dedication and lifelong service to society through creative and intellectual pursuits, while keeping alive the legacy and values of late Hemkant Katyayan.
