RENOWNED WRITER DR. BADAL HONORED WITH ‘MARWAR RATNA’ AWARD

Raj Sadosh/Abohar.

Dr. Mangat Badal (Raisinghnagar)—a renowned poet, critic, and essayist who has previously been honored with the Sahitya Akademi’s highest award—was felicitated with the national-level ‘Dr. Narayan Singh Bhati: Marwar Ratna Award’ by the Jodhpur-based Mehrangarh Museum Trust on the occasion of Jodhpur Foundation Day.

Kiran Badal, a writer of children’s literature, said that during a grand ceremony organized by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust at the Marwar International Auditorium, Maharaja Shri Gaj Singhji of Marwar-Jodhpur honored Dr. Badal by presenting him with a shawl, a *Shriphal* (sacred coconut), a copper plaque, and a cheque for Rs 51,000. Rao Rajendra Singhji of Shahpura (MP, Jaipur Rural) attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest. On this occasion, the Maharani Sahiba of Marwar, Smt. Hemlata Raje, and the Rani Sahiba of Gulabpura, Bhuvaneshwari Kumari, were present as Guests of Honor.

Dr. Badal was conferred with this award in recognition of his long-standing, high-level contributions of enduring significance toward the creation of Rajasthani poetry, the preservation of culture, elevating the cultural consciousness of the *Marudhara* (the desert region) to new heights, and the propagation and promotion of Rajasthani language and literature. The ceremony was attended by numerous distinguished writers—including Dr. Mahendra Singh Tanwar (Secretary, Jodhpur Foundation Committee), the eminent Rajasthani poet and critic Dr. Gaje Singh Rajpurohit, Bhanwar Lal Suthar, Smt. Santosh Chaudhary, and Bhawani Singh Patawat—along with many enthusiasts of the mother tongue and hundreds of prominent citizens of the city.