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At a ceremony held at the temple trees on November 17, the High Commissioner of India of Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, presented to Dr. Vajira Chitrasena “Padma Shri”, the prize awarded to her by the President of India for the year 2020. The Prime Minister and Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was also present.
On November 8, 2021, a “Padma Awards Investiture Ceremony” was held in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, where the President of India presented the Padma Awards to the winners of 2020 in the presence of the Vice President, Prime Minister of India and other dignitaries. Two prominent personalities from Sri Lanka, Dr. Vajira Chitrasena and the late prof. Indra Dassanayake, was awarded the “Padma Shri” for their outstanding contributions in dance, literature and education.
Dr. Chitrasena is a veteran traditional dancer, choreographer and teacher. For her achievements, she has been adorned with one of Sri Lanka’s highest national awards “Deshabandu”, among many others. Dr. Vajira’s unique contribution to enriching relations between India and Sri Lanka by promoting dance and mixing art forms from both countries, especially Kandyan and Odissi, has been honored with “Padma Shri”. Since Dr. Chitrasena could not travel to India to accept ‘Padma Shri’, India’s High Commission facilitated the award ceremony in Colombo.
The other recipient of the “Padma Shri” award, the late prof. Indra Dassanayake, was a renowned professor of Hindi at Kelaniya University. She worked closely with India since she was born in India and was an alumnus of the University of Lucknow. Her daughter, Vathsala Dassanayake Ishtaweera, received “Padma Shri” in New Delhi from the President of India.
The Padma Awards are one of India’s highest civilian awards announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. The prizes, which are awarded in three categories, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, aim to draw attention to achievements in all areas of activity or disciplines where part of public service is involved. This year’s Padma Awards have paid tribute to the achievements and excellence of people who achieve grassroots level, and have therefore been hailed as “People’s Padma”.
Recognition of Dr. The personal achievements of Vajira Chitrasena and the late Prof. Indra Dassanayake of the Government of India testify to the enduring cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka. Through his pioneering efforts, Dr. Chitrasena and Prof. Dassanayake have been instrumental in further strengthening the people-to-people ties between India and Sri Lanka. It may be recalled that WD Amaradeva, Sri Lanka’s famous music maestro, was awarded “Padma Shri” in 2002.