Sarhad announces ‘Lal Ded National Awards’ for 5 prominent women

Srinagar, May 17: Sarhad, a Pune-based organisation working in the social and cultural sectors, has announced the prestigious “Lal Ded National Awards.” Five senior women literary figures who have made valuable contributions to the cultural and literary landscape of Jammu & Kashmir will be honoured with these awards.

As per a press release, the award ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 3:45 PM at SKICC in Srinagar. These awards are presented in memory of “Lal Ded,” the great Kashmiri Shaivite mystic poetess and cultural icon.

Lal Ded was a Kashmiri saint, poet, and mystic thinker who spread spirituality and preached love beyond caste and religion. She was also one of the leading scholars and promoters of Kashmiri Shaivism. Her teachings beautifully blended Shaivism and Sufism. She composed four-line Kashmiri verses known as “Vaakh,” which are still considered the foundation of Kashmiri literature.

The 2019 award will be presented to contemporary Kashmiri poet Bimla Raina; the 2020 award to SahityaAkademi Award-winning poet Prof NaseemShafaie; the 2021 award to renowned writer and official language expert Dr Sakina Akhtar; the 2025 award to Dr Syed DarakshanAndrabi; and the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award to eminent writer, educationist, and translator NeerjaMattu. The awards will be presented by Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir. Distinguished educationist and DPS Srinagar Chairman Vijay Dhar will attend as the chief guest. The event will be chaired by VijayaRahatkar, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. Through the poetry collections of Bimla Raina, the essence of Lal Ded’s literature has reached readers in an innovative style. Her literary works have kept alive the Rishi-Sufi tradition, and her poems represent the emotions of the Kashmiri people.

Prof NaseemShafaie is the first Kashmiri literary figure to receive the SahityaAkademi Award and is regarded as a modern inheritor of the Vaakh tradition. Through her writings, she has portrayed the experiences of Kashmiri women with great sensitivity and realism.

Dr Sakina Akhtar has preserved the Rishi-Sufi and saint traditions through her scholarly research work, “Kashmiri Folk Literature and Saint Tradition,” thereby strengthening cultural and communal harmony. By promoting the Hindi language while respecting Kashmiri folk traditions, she has contributed to national integration.

Dr Syed DarakshanAndrabi is a popular leader in Kashmir and, as Chairperson of the Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board, has brought transformative reforms in the management of Sufi shrines. From implementing transparency and anti-corruption measures to beautifying the Hazratbal shrine, she has undertaken several bold reforms.

NeerjaMattu has dedicated more than three decades of her life to Kashmir’s intellectual and cultural landscape. She continues to serve as a cultural bridge connecting ancient knowledge with the modern world.