“It has given me immense happiness”: Chikankari artist Naseem Bano on being honoured with Padma Shri

New Delhi [India], April 23 (ANI): It was a moment of pride for Lucknow’s Chikankari artist, Naseem Bano, who was honoured with the Padma Shri award in the field of art at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President Droupadi Murmu presented Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri Awards for the year 2024 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.

“We do handmade embroidery work and I have received the award for this…I am thankful for this award. It has given me immense happiness,” Naseem Bano told ANI after the awards function.

Bano has received honours for her work earlier too.

Growing up in a family where her father, Hasan Mirza excelled in this peculiar Anokhi Chikankari embroidery – distinguished by threads that are entirely missing on the fabric’s reverse side – Bano learned the skill at an early age.

“My parents taught me this skill since childhood. We were very young, from the age of 10-11. We kept learning. Then at the age of 13, we started working. My two brothers also do this work. My son has also received an award for this,” she added.

She wants to train other girls in this special craft.

President Droupadi Murmu conferred Padma Bhushan upon veteran singer Usha Uthup in the field of arts.

Bhajan singer Kaluram Bamaniya, Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Choudhury Bannya and Gopinath Swain were among the recipients of the Padma Shri award.

Bharatnatyam dancer Dr Padma Subrahmanyam was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.

The Padma Awards were announced on the eve of the 75th Republic Day. The awards recognise exceptional contributions in various fields. Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty has also been awarded Padma Bhushan.

There are 132 names on the list of Padma Awardees this year, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). The list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri Awards. Thirty of the awardees are women, and the list also includes eight persons from the categories of foreign non-resident Indian (NRI), person of Indian origin (PIO), overseas citizenship of India (OCI), and nine posthumous awardees.