GUWAHATI, Nov 8 � Eminent litterateur and former president of Asam Sahitya Sabha Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora was honoured today with the Sri Sri Madhavdev Award instituted by the State government in the year 2009.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi presented the award to Dr Bora, presently the editor of the monthly magazine Gariyoshi, at a function held here at Rabindra Bhawan. The award carries Rs 2 lakh and a citation.
Addressing the function Gogoi announced that the government will institute two chairs in the name of the saints Sankardev and Madhabdev at two universities in the State. Gogoi said that the need of the hour was to remove all inequalities, fear and terror from the society and build a new society on the basis of the ideologies of the Vaishnavite saints. He also stressed the importance of promoting the teachings of the Vaishnavite saints across the globe.
Accepting the honour Dr Bora, who has won many prestigious awards, said that he would continue serving the society through literary activities till his last breath.
Dr Bora, who has been striving to popularize the teachings of the Vaishnavite saints of the State who built the bridge of national integration, was all humility as he expressed the limitation of his creative faculty and said that he is still in the process of discovery in the vast world of literature.
It needs to be mentioned here that Dr Bora has authored four novels capturing the life and contribution of the Vaishnavite saints Sankardeva, Madhavdev, Gopal Dev and Mathuradas Burha Ata. Dr Bora�a novel Sehi Gunanidhi is based on the complete life of Madhavdev. He undertook intensive research spanning over a period of two years to complete this work that hit the stands in 1997. This novel is regarded as one of the technically perfect works of Dr Bora. Emerging as a best seller, this novel had to be published in three editions because of its immense popularity.
Reflecting on his creative inspiration, Dr Bora said that the world around him with all its merits and shortcomings, struggle and pain has acted as his literary Muse and that his pen has helped him in overcoming all the hurdles of life with courage. �A keen attraction towards man and nature and a yearning to search for the truth of life made me a writer,� he said.
The function was attended by many eminent citizens including Minister of Cultural Affairs Bharat Chandra Narah and president of the Asom Sattra Mahasabha Lila Mahanta.