Nalinidhar Bhattacharya at his residence. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Dec. 31: Poet and litterateur Nalinidhar Bhattacharya was today named the recipient of the prestigious Assam Valley Literary Award, 2006.

The award will be formally presented to Bhattacharya at a function to be held in Guwahati in March 2007. Institutionalised in 1990, the Assam Valley Literary Award is part of the Williamson Magor Trust’s endeavour to preserve and promote the rich literary heritage of Assam.

Born in 1921, Bhattacharya passed his HSLC examination in 1940 from Kakojan High School in Jorhat. He completed his intermediate in 1942 from JB College, Jorhat and went on to complete his BA privately, after which he did his Masters in Assamese.

Beginning his career as a teacher in Kakojan High School, Bhattacharya was lecturer at St. Anthony’s College, Shillong from 1960 to 1963. He also served as lecturer in Arya Vidyapeeth College of Guwahati and retired from the same college in 1983. Bhattacharya’s many publications bear testimony to the fact that his forte lies in poetry and literary essays.

He has penned five anthologies of Assamese poems — Ali Kuwoli (1979), Charshalir Malita (1983), Aahot Xapun (1983), Noni Asone Ghorot and Biday Phulor Din (2002). He has also voluminously produced literary essays and translated works, which were published in significant literary journals of Assam. Five collections of his literary essays have also been published.

Nalinidhar Bhattacharya was honoured with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002 for his collection of literary works — Mahat Oitijhya.

Besides this he has received several prestigious awards, which include Bhar-otiya Bhasha Parishad Award, Soviet Desh Nehru Award, Chaganlal Jain Award, Mrinalini Devi Award. He has also served as the president of Diphu Asom Sahitya Sabha Kabi Sammelan.

Art award

Acclaimed Manipuri artist T. Tombi Singh has been selected for the Pranab Barua Art Award, 2006. Singh will be receiving the award on February 22. The award comprises a citation and Rs 25,000 in cash.

In the previous years, the award has been conferred on eminent artists like Sobha Brahma, Benu Mishra, Nilpaban Baruah, among others.