Welcome back, VishalTwo layers of recognition — Honours of Excellence for lifetime contribution, and Talent Awards that nurture every stage of creative growth from age 6 to 21.
Highest recognition for a lifetime of distinction in dance, music, or drama — given annually to a single laureate.
Learn more →Distinguished honour for sustained, significant contribution to performing arts traditions across India.
Learn more →Highest literary honour — given to a writer whose work has shaped Indian language traditions over decades.
Learn more →Distinguished honour for an author whose published work and literary impact have shaped a generation.
Learn more →For our youngest creators — first verses, first drawings, first stage moments. Open to Kala, Sahitya and Visual Arts.
Register →Recognising young creators finding their voice — across recitation, dance, painting, short stories and music.
Register →For teen creators developing original work — self-written submissions mandatory, open across all three art streams.
Register →Honouring young adult creators whose work shows mature voice — the bridge between Talent Awards and Honours of Excellence.
Register →Honours are nominated by a jury · Talent Awards are open to all eligible age groups
Curated by Editorial Team
Curated by Meera Iyer
Curated by Dr. Priya Sharma
Curated by Community
Voices that carried Indian languages and art forms forward — honoured at the annual Rachnakaar Samman ceremony in Delhi.
2025
For five decades of Hindustani classical scholarship and the Banaras gharana lineage.
2025
Echoes of the Ganga — a definitive reimagining of riverine mythology in modern Hindi prose.
2025
The Letters of Chandni Chowk — an epistolary novel of contemporary Old Delhi life.
2025
Mehfil-e-Shayari — a debut collection of Urdu ghazals from a teen poet of Lucknow.
2024
For preserving Bharatanatyam's Pandanallur lineage and authoring four foundational texts on its abhinaya.
2024
The Last Train to Lucknow — a Partition-era mystery novel that became the year's most-read serialised work.
2024
Monsoon Wedding Songs — a five-act play exploring music traditions of three Indian wedding regions.
2023
Ragas of the Monsoon — a year-long musical anthology celebrating regional folk traditions of seasonal song.
From Bhopal's intimate stages to Kochi's experimental troupes, a new generation is reclaiming the rangmanch — and the stories they're telling will surprise you.
An intimate evening with Aanya — craft, characters, and the questions you've been wanting to ask.
Take Rachnakaar with you. Offline reading, audio narration, dark mode, push notifications, and personalized recommendations on the go.
A 3-day intensive with award-winning author Aanya Verma. Learn structure, voice, and the craft of memorable openings.
Annual poetry competition across 6 languages. ₹2L grand prize and publication in our anthology.
Three-day literary festival in Jaipur featuring 40+ authors, panel discussions, and book launches.