Godavari Gaurav awardees appeal to preserve Nashik's identity

Nashik: The Kusumagraj Memorial and Nashik Municipal Corporation awarded the coveted 'Godavari Gaurav Biennial Awards' 2016 to six eminent personalities on Thursday evening.

The event is held to mark the death anniversary of Kusumagraj (V V Shirwadkar).

The awardees include mathematician and astrophysicist Padma Bhushan Dr Shashikumar Chitre (Science), actor Nana Patekar (Cinema), architect Padma Balkrishna Doshi (Fine art), social activist Chetna Sinha (Social work), Mohiniyattom exponent Kanak Rele (Music-Dance), and Nashik's popular cyclist siblings Hitendra and Mahendra Mahajan (adventure sports).

The awardees include mathematician and astrophysicist Padma Bhushan Dr Shashikumar Chitre (Science), actor Nana Patekar (Cinema), architect Padma Balkrishna Doshi (Fine art), Social activist Chetna Sinha (Social work), Mohiniyattom exponent Kanak Rele (Music-Dance), and Nashik's popular cyclist siblings Dr Hitendra and Mahendra Mahajan (adventure sports).

While responding to the felicitation, the awardees appealed Nashikites to preserve Nashik's own identity as city of spirituality, literature and nature instead of blindly following the ongoing trend urbanisation.

"Like a building becomes a home because of the nature and character of people living in it, a city become homely and developed because of its residents. There is no need to develop Nashik on the lines of Singapore or Shanghai. The city has its own character, own greatness and vision. With these values, we can develop Nashik as a Smart City of its own kind," said architect Balkrishna Doshi.

The Mahajan brothers, who were the only Nashik-based recipients of Godavari Gaurav stated that the atmosphere of Nashik has always inspired them to work in adventure sports. The brothers donated the award amount to Nana Patekar's NAAM Foundation.

Patekar spoke at length about the sense of social responsibility in people. "The state is facing drought like never before and our farmers need our helping hand. This is a temporary situation. With today's help, our farmers will get a new lease of life and prosperity," he said.

He appealed to residents to "not to rely on the politicians and the government" but to realise their own responsibility to help out the farmers.

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