Afzal Manglauri Conferred with the “Uttarakhand Gaurav Chishti Award – 2025”

Dehradun | The Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman (Literary Pride Honor) ceremony, organized by the Uttarakhand Language Institute, was held at the ‘Mukhya Sevak Sadan’ (Chief Servant’s House) located within the Chief Minister’s residence. During the event, individuals who have made remarkable contributions in various fields were honored.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conferred the ‘Sahitya Bhushan Samman’—Uttarakhand’s highest literary honor—upon Dr. Jiten Thakur. Additionally, he presented the ‘Uttarakhand Long-term Outstanding Literary Creation Award’ to Dr. Buddhinath Mishra, Shyam Singh Kutela, Dr. Pritam Singh, Kesar Singh Rai, and Ata-e-Sabir (Afzal Manglauri).

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami presented the state’s highest award for Urdu literature—the “Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman: Unwan Chishti Award – 2025″—to the internationally renowned poet and former Vice-Chairman of the Uttarakhand Urdu Academy, Afzal Manglauri. In recognition of his long-standing services to Urdu literature, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lauded Afzal Manglauri’s literary and social contributions, presenting him with a cash prize of ₹1,51,000, a shawl, a commemorative award, and a citation.

Present on the occasion were Khajan Das (Uttarakhand Government’s Minister for Social Welfare, Minority Welfare, and Language), Health Minister Subodh Uniyal, MLA Savita Kapoor, and others. Maya Devi Dhakriyal, Director of the Language Department, remarked that Afzal Manglauri has brought glory to Uttarakhand both within the country and abroad, noting that he has authored eight books spanning various literary genres. Among the other litterateurs honored with the ‘Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman – 2025’ in various languages, the names of Dr. Jiten Thakur, Dr. Buddhinath Mishra, Dr. Yashwant Katoch, Shyam Singh Kutela, Dr. Pritam Singh, and Kesar Singh Rai were also highlighted. The proceedings of the program were anchored by Dr. Sushil Kumar Upadhyay.

In his address during the ceremony, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that it was a matter of immense pride for him to have the opportunity to honor the distinguished litterateurs of the state. He stated that Dr. Jiten Thakur, recipient of the “Uttarakhand Sahitya Bhushan Samman,” is a source of inspiration not only for Uttarakhand but for the entire world of Hindi literature.