Kalidas Samman

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The Kalidas Samman is a prestigious arts award presented annually in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, an Indian poet and dramatist who wrote classical Sanskrit literature.

The Kalidas Samman was first awarded in 1980, and is conferred in alternate years in the fields of Music and Dance. In 1985, the awards were combined into one, and two more fields were added: Painting and Theatre. The award is presented for outstanding achievement in one of the four categories.

[edit] Prize and selection

The award carries a cash prize of 1 lakh (100,000) rupees. The winners are selected by a five member committee appointed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, which consists of eminent artists, art critics and officials from the Sangeet Natak Akademi (India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama).

[edit] Awardees

Awardees include:

• Dr. Kanak Rele, 2005-2006 award for Dance
• S.H. Raza
• Birju Maharaj
• Kelucharan Mohapatra

[edit] References

• 'Kalidas Samman' for Chandralekha, The Hindu, October 19, 2003.
• Tryst with Mohiniyattam, The Hindu, January 29, 2006.