Rajaram Tripathi, Raza Murad, Sachin Khedekar, Pawan Tripathi, Sadanand Bhosale, Mrityunjay Bose, Namdev Gowda, Shivpoojan Shukla, Alok Soni, Neeta Bajpai, Vineet Abhishek and Swati Chauhan among awardees
Mumbai, June 16: Eminent agriculturist and Bastar-based entrepreneur Dr Rajaram Tripathi will be conferred the Vagdhara Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 for his outstanding contribution to agriculture.
Renowned film actors Raza Murad and Sachin Khedekar will receive the prestigious Vagdhara Navratna Samman.
The awards will be presented by Telangana Governor Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla at a grand ceremony jointly organised by Vagdhara and Bharat Express in Mumbai on July 4, 2026.
Bharat Express CMD Upendra Rai will be the Guest of Honour.
Announcing the awards, Dr Vageesh Saraswat, President of Vagdhara, said noted astrologer and Sanskrit scholar Acharya Pawan Tripathi will receive the Dr Shankarlal Saraswat Memorial Vagdhara Award.
Acharya Tripathi currently serves as Treasurer of the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust in Mumbai.
Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, will be honoured with the Netrapal Singh Memorial Rail Service Award, while Neeta Bajpai of Mumbai will receive the Sandhya Pandey Memorial Vagdhara Award.
The Vagdhara Navratna Samman will also be conferred on:
Raza Murad – Cinema
Sachin Khedekar – Theatre and Performing Arts
Shivpoojan Shukla (Gonda) – Folk Art
Dr Sadanand Bhosale (Pune) – Education
Dr Smriti Tripathi (Delhi) – Music
Dr Namdev Gowda (Bijapur, Karnataka) – Language Integration
Dr Alok Soni (Datia, Madhya Pradesh) – Social Service
Mrityunjay Bose (Vasai, Maharashtra) – Journalism
Swati Chauhan, former Family Court Judge, Mumbai – Human Welfare
The awardees were selected by a jury headed by noted film art director Jayant Deshmukh.
Other members included senior journalists Vimal Mishra, Narendra Kothekar, Omprakash Tiwari, lyricist Arvind Sharma Rahi, dancer Durgeshwari Singh, tarot reader Aarti Rajdan, poet Nandita Maji Sharma, Avadhesh Kumar Pandey, Manisha Joshi, actor Ravi Yadav, and advocate Bhargava Tiwari.
This year marks the 10th edition of the Vagdhara Samman Ceremony.
Dr Saraswat said Vagdhara was founded on October 10, 1985, with the objective of promoting literature and culture. Over the decades, the organisation has established a strong national presence through its literary and cultural initiatives, including the publication of the literary magazine Udgar, cultural festivals, seminars, and its widely acclaimed Mumbai Holi celebrations.
Since 2017, the Vagdhara Samman has recognised outstanding contributions in fields such as social service, education, cinema, healthcare, theatre, dance, music, journalism and public service. The 2026 edition, to be graced by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, marks a significant milestone in the institution’s journey.
Apart from the awards, Vagdhara has organised several notable events over the years, including the Goa Vyangya Mahotsav, Mumbai Vyangya Mahotsav, and various arts and cultural festivals that have received national recognition.
