Jalgaon: Four eminent figures from the field of literature and two from agriculture-water management have been selected for the Poet N D Mahanor Awards. The award presentation ceremony will be held in Mumbai on September 11, 2026.
‘Ranakavi’ (Poet of the Wild/Nature) Na Dhon Mahanor, who carved a unique niche for himself in Marathi literature as a poet and novelist, also had a deep passion for agriculture and water management. Recognising these diverse facets of his personality and work, the Bhavarlal and Kantabai Jain Foundation (Jalgaon) and the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre (Mumbai) have jointly instituted awards in his name for literature and the agriculture-water sector.
A total of six awards are presented annually: four for literature and two for outstanding work in agriculture and water management. Recommendations were invited from various parts of the state for the 2026 awards. After considering the nominations received, the joint selection committee of the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre and the Bhavarlal and Kantabai Jain Foundation finalised the recipients.
The awardees selected in the field of literature are Avinash Usha Vasant (Mumbai), Shrikant Sav (Chandrapur), Preshit Pradip Siddhabhatti and Vitthal Khilari (Satara). Meanwhile, Vaishali Patil (Dasnur, Taluka Raver, Jalgaon district) and Seema Kshirsagar (Kadavanchi, Taluka Jalna) have been selected for their work in agriculture and water management.
The selection committee comprises Ashok Jain, Jabbar Patel, Dr Pragya Daya Pawar, Dr Nitin Ridhe, Ajit Bhure, Ramesh Jadhav, Shambhu Patil and Datta Balsaraf.
It was announced that the award ceremony will be held on September 11, 2026, at 5 pm at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Mumbai, where the awards will be presented by Sharad Pawar, Chairman of the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, and Ashok Jain, Chairman of the Bhavarlal and Kantabai Jain Foundation.
