Vyjayanthimala recieves Gangadhar Award

Konark: Veteran Bollywood actor and eminent Bharatnatyam danseuse Vyjayanthimala Bali on yesterday recieved the prestigious Guru Gangadhar Pradhan Life time Achievement award in recognition of her lifetime contributions to the Indian classical dance and Hindi cinema.

The five-day long 29th Konark Nrutya and Sangeet Mahotsav which concluded on Sunday evening saw a scintillating performance by sitar player Ravishankar Pradhan from Cuttack and Odissi dancers from Konark Natya Mandap depicting the life of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan.

As part of the Lifetime Achievement award, Vyjayanthimala was honoured with a citation and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.

"This award is God's blessing. Bharatnatyam is my life. Whatever I have achieved that's because of the dance and art," Vyjayanthimala told media.

The annual dance, music and literary festival, which began near the Sun temple on February 19, was organised by the Konark Natya Mandap in association with Union Ministry of Culture, Odisha Tourism Development Corporation and Department of Culture, Odisha.