Haricharan Saikia
Haricharan Saikia | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1929/1930 Assam, India |
| Occupation | Sattriya dance exponent |
| Known for | Promotion and preservation of Sattriya dance |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2026) Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2011) |
Haricharan Saikia is an Indian Sattriya dance exponent from Assam. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2026, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the preservation, practice and promotion of Sattriya, a classical dance form of Assam.[1][2][3][4]
Early life and training
[edit]Saikia was raised at the Old Kamalabari Satra in Majuli, where he began learning Sattriya dance under the guidance of renowned guru Maniram Dutta Borbayan during his childhood.[1]
Career
[edit]Saikia devoted his life to the practice, promotion, and teaching of Sattriya dance.[1] He has performed widely at cultural programmes in Assam and other parts of India. During his career, he also performed before India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at a cultural event in New Delhi.[1] In 2011, he was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his artistic mastery and sustained service to Indian classical dance.[1]
Despite his advanced age, Saikia continued to teach Sattriya at his own institution and remained actively engaged in mentoring younger practitioners.[1] His recognition with the Padma Shri highlights his lifelong contribution to preserving Assam’s cultural heritage.[2][5]
Awards and recognition
[edit]- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2011)[1]
- Padma Shri (2026)[2][3][6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Future of Sattriya in safe hands: Padma Shri awardee Haricharan Saikia". The Assam Tribune.
- ^ a b c "Padma Awards 2026: Five from Assam, strong Northeast presence on honours list". The Assam Tribune.
- ^ a b "Assam theatre pioneer Nuruddin Ahmed, nine others from Northeast get Padma Shri". India Today NE.
- ^ ৯৬ বছৰ বয়সতো সত্ৰীয়া সংস্কৃতিৰ প্ৰসাৰ-প্ৰচাৰত ব্যস্ত পদ্মশ্ৰী হৰিচৰণ শইকীয়া
- ^ Contribution of all Padma awardess from Assam inspiring: Himanta
- ^ Padma Awards 2026 announced: Dharmendra, Rohit Sharma, Uday Kotak among recipients; here’s the full list