Lucknow – In a heartwarming celebration of womanhood and excellence, the Avadh Ladies Club hosted its 2025 Felicitation Ceremony, honouring three distinguished women from Lucknow for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
The Avadh Shakti Samman was conferred upon:
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Vimal Pant, famously known as the Kumaon Kokila, an A-Grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. She has played a pivotal role in promoting Indian folk music across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, and other Hindi-speaking regions for decades.
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Rekha Mittal, a veteran stage performer, known for her over five-decade-long association with theatre, particularly in drama, nautanki, and classical dance.
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Dr. Meenu Khare, a former Program Officer with Doordarshan, recognized for organizing over 400 awareness programs on water conservation post-retirement.
The ceremony was graced by Dr. Manju Gupta, former MLC of Lucknow, as the Chief Guest, and renowned Kathak artist Dr. Kumkum Dhar as the Special Guest. Both dignitaries felicitated the awardees and applauded their dedication and contribution to society.
Club President Jyoti Kaul welcomed the guests and shared the objectives of the club. She introduced all dignitaries and highlighted the club’s commitment to recognizing exemplary women each year. Vice President Uma Trigunayak was felicitated with the Sahitya Saroj Samman she received at Ghazipur, which was presented to her by Jyoti Kiran Ratan.
Secretary Manorama Mishra emphasized the club’s tradition of annually honouring women who have made significant contributions within the Avadh region. The event was anchored by Archana Gupta, who briefly traced the club’s history, founded in 1936, describing it as the oldest women’s club in the region. She underscored its consistent role in social service—from the time of India’s freedom movement to disasters like the tsunami, COVID-19, floods, and droughts.
The cultural segment of the program saw Mrs. Vimal Pant performing her original sohar (folk song) dedicated to the birth of Ram, Lakshman, Bharat, and Shatrughan. Padma Gidwani energized the audience with a dance on the popular number Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, while Indu Saraswat delivered a soulful welcome and thank-you song.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from members including Kanti Gupta, Sudha Dwivedi, Sarita Agrawal, Aparna Singh, Rita Srivastava, Anjali Singh, Gajala, and many more, marking yet another successful and inspiring chapter in the club’s legacy.
