KAMALADEVI PURASKAR
The Delhi Crafts Council instituted the Kamaladevi Puraskar in 1986 in the memory of its Patron Founder, the Late Smt. Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay.
The awards are given to encourage children between the age of fourteen and twenty who are skilled in crafts, to continue to practice their tradition and eventually take it up as a means of livelihood. It is hoped that the incentive provided by this award will encourage these children to continue learning and practicing the craft and also impart to them a sense of pride and dignity in their skills. The award consists of a citation along with a monthly scholarship for the period of one and a half years.
DCC works throughout the year to identify young craftsmen who are skilled in their field. It is very important to us that the younger children continue their education along with practicing their craft. More than a hundred and fifty children have benefited from these awards. Some of our awardees have also gone on to be honoured as Master Craftsmen, an award given by the Government of India.
The Delhi Crafts Council has helped to market the work of its previous awardees by inviting them back for exhibitions and connecting them with buyers in Delhi under the banner of our Navodit Shilpi program.