Agartala, Jan 26 (PTI) Two persons from Tripura have been awarded the prestigious 'Padma Shri', one of the highest civilian awards in the country.

Spiritual leader Chitta Ranjan Debbarma of Santi Kali Ashram has been awarded in the category of Others-Spiritualism, while Smriti Rekha Chakma has been awarded for Art (Textile-Weaving-Loinloom).

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The 65-year-old spiritual leader told PTI from Varanasi on Friday, "I am really happy for being awarded the Padma Shri. It is also a proud moment for Tripura."

Debbarma, who had gone to witness the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will be returning home later in the day.

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He said, "I will continue with my social work and children's education. I want to see Tripura ranked among the top states," Debbarma, also known as Chitta Mararaj, said.

Congratulating Debbarma, Chief Minister Manik Saha wrote on Facebook, "It's a proud moment for Tripura! My heartfelt congratulations to Chitta Maharaj of Santikali Ashram (Shri Chitta Ranjan Debbarma) for being awarded the prestigious 'Padma Shri' in the category of Others-Spiritualism."

"Chitta Maharaj has been transforming the lives of many people through spiritualism and the expansion of education. I express my sincere gratitude to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for honoring Maharaj with this award," he added.

Smriti Rekha Chakma is equally delighted to receive the prestigious award.

"I have been waiting for this moment for many years after receiving the National Award for Weaving using natural colours in 2000. In fact, a state minister even offered me a government job, but I humbly rejected the offer and chose to work with natural colours. Today, my dedication brought joy to me, my family, and the people of the state."

The chief minister also extended his greetings to Smriti Rekha Chakma.

"Warm wishes to Smriti Rekha Chakma from Tripura for being awarded the Padma Shri Award 2024. Her contribution to the art through eco-friendly vegetable-dyed cotton threads and traditional designs, as well as her promotion of natural dyes, is remarkable. She is also empowering rural women through her organization 'Ujeia Jadha'," the CM said in a Facebook post.

"I want to pass on my experience, knowledge, and techniques to the younger generation. I have established Ujeira Jadha, a socio-cultural organisation, to provide training to rural women in the art of weaving. I will continue to engage in this work until my last breath," said the 63-year-old woman, who resides in Machmara in Unakoti district.

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