Woman mahout among 34 Padma Shri awardees

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday released the list of Padma Award winners and President Droupadi Murmu will confer these awards at the civil investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan held usually around March / April every year.

India’s first female elephant mahout, a burn victim turned surgeon, a sculptor artist, a tribal welfare worker, a medicine practitioner, practitioners of a traditional dance forms, a veteran coach of the traditional Indian sport, are among the 34 unsung heroes Padma Shri awardees for 2024.

An animal conservationist from Assam and India’s first female elephant mahout, Parbati Barua, is one of the award recipients this Republic Day. Barua, 70, was born as the last in line of the Rajahs of Gauripur. She came to the limelight after the BBC created the documentary “Queen of the Elephants” based on her life. She has been awarded Padma Shri in the field of social work (animal welfare).

Another recipient is 72-year-old Prema Dhanraj, a plastic reconstructive surgeon social worker. He survived as a child from a fire accident after suffering 50% burn injuries at the age of eight. Dhanraj went on to become one of India’s top plastic surgeons and dedicated himself to the care and rehabilitation of burn victims. He will receive Padma Shri in the field of Medicine (indigenous burns).

Sanatan Rudra Pal is a Kumartuli artist and is known for being one of the most famous sculptors for making majestic and towering Durgas idols. He has been a sculptor artist for over 50 years. His works travel from Kolkata to distant lands ranging from the Caribbean Islands to Washington and from Johannesburg to London every year during Durga Puja. He too was a recipient of the Padma Shri this year.