Marathi Language Will Continue to Flourish Through the Efforts of Senior Writers and Youth: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Dr. Bhalchandra Nemade conferred with the Sahityabhushan Award; Marutibaba Kurekar honoured with a Special Award

Nashik, Feb 2026 :Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed confidence that with senior litterateurs who have served Marathi for decades and the younger generation now stepping forward to serve the mother tongue, the chariot of Marathi glory will continue to move ahead and further enhance the stature of the Marathi language. He also remarked that honouring eminent personalities who have made valuable contributions in the field of Marathi literature has enhanced the importance and sanctity of these awards.

The distribution of State Literary Awards given by the Marathi Language Department was held at the inauguration of the Fourth World Marathi Conference, organised at Kavyavarya Kusumagraj Nagari in the premises of KTHM College of the Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj. The Chief Minister was speaking on this occasion.

Shantibrahma Guruvarya Marutibaba Kurekar has carried the sweetness of spirituality to thousands of young people across the country. While presenting him with the award, the Chief Minister said he felt a deep sense of fulfilment, adding that Kurekar’s personality is greater than any award. Bhalchandra Nemade conveyed the complexities of human life and human emotions and gave new wings to Marathi identity. Srinivas Kulkarni produced sensitive and thought-provoking writing. Dr. Dilip Dhondge completed a PhD on the abhangas of Tukaram Maharaj and authored scholarly works. Apte Reading Hall preserved more than 70,000 books and manuscripts. Vinod Kulkarni mobilised lakhs of letters demanding classical status for Marathi. The Karnataka Sahitya Parishad made significant contributions toward gaining recognition for Marathi outside Maharashtra. In these words, the Chief Minister praised the award recipients.

The Chief Minister noted that the awardees had served the Marathi language for six to seven decades and expressed confidence that, along with them, the efforts of the youth would further strengthen Marathi. Everyone takes pride in being Marathi and in the Marathi language, as well as in the remarkable achievements of Marathi people. The World Marathi Conference is organised to celebrate this pride. He stated that the government is making efforts to take the glory of Marathi across the world and suggested that next year’s World Marathi Conference be organised in Vidarbha, followed by a subsequent conference abroad.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Chhagan Bhujbal, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, Marathi Language Minister Dr. Uday Samant, MP Rajabhau Waje, Shobha Bachhav, Marathi Language Department Secretary Dr. Kiran Kulkarni and others were present.

On the occasion of Marathi Language Day, the 2025 Vinda Karandikar Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Srinivas Vinayak Kulkarni; the S. P. Bhagwat Award to Nirmal Prakashan, Nanded; the Dr. Ashok Kelkar Language Studies Award to Dr. Dilip Dhondge and Apte Reading Hall, Ichalkaranji; and the Kavyavarya Mangesh Padgaonkar Language Conservation Award to Vinod Narayan Kulkarni and the Karnataka State Marathi Sahitya Parishad. The 2024 Late Yashwantrao Chavan State Literary Awards were also presented.

In total, 35 awards were presented under categories including Adult Literature (22), Children’s Literature (6), First Publication (6), and the Sarfoji Raje Bhosale Brihan Maharashtra Award (1).
The prize money for each award was ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000, or as specified under the respective categories.