New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI): Superstar Rajinikanth, tennis icon Sania Mirza, former US Ambassador Robert D Blackwill and actor Priyanka Chopra were among the 56 eminent persons who were honoured with Padma awards today.
Former DRDO chief V K Aatre, chief editor of Telugu daily Eenadu Ramoji Rao, philanthropist and educationist Indu Jain, chairman of Maruti Suzuki India R C Bhargava, singer Udit Narayan, eminent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam were also honoured with the Padma awards by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Civil Investiture Ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Rajinikanth, Aatre, Rao, renowned vocalist Girija Devi, chairperson of Cancer Institute, Chennai V Shanta were given Padma Vibhushan.
Bhargava, Jain, Blackwill, Mirza, Narayan, Manipuri playwright Heisnam Kanhailal, noted Telugu and Hindi litterateur Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, teacher of Vedanta Dayananda Saraswati (posthumous), leading sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, Indologist N S Ramanuja Tatacharya and International head of Chinmaya Mission Swami Tejomayananda were honoured with Padma Bhushan.
Chopra, Nikam, former President of Editors Guild of India Dhirendra Nath Bezboruah, renowned novelist from Karnataka S L Bhyrappa, Puducherry-based social worker Madeleine Herman de Blic, president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha Kameswar Brahma were among the 40 eminent persons who were given the Padma Shri.
Folk artiste from Chhattisgarh Mamta Chandrakar, scientist Dipankar Chatterji, chairman of the Akshaya Patra Foundation Madhu Pandit Dasa, renowned sports commentator Sushil Doshi and orthopaedic surgeon John Ebnezar were honoured with the Padma Shri.
The glittering function was attended by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah, several Union Ministers besides others.
Founder chairman of Gharda Chemicals Keki Hormusji Gharda, vocalist of Banaras Gharana Soma Ghosh, renowned Hindi journalist Jawahar Lal Kaul, human rights activist Sunitha Krishnan, Director General of Missiles and Strategic Systems Satish Kumar, Hindustani classical vocalist M Venkateshkumar were given the Padma Shri by the President.
Cardiac surgeon Tapan Kumar Lahiri, miniature artist Jai Prakash Lakhiwal, former Director of Nehru Homeopathic Medical College Anil Kumari Malhotra, sculptor Bhalu Mondhe, CEO of Jayaashree Industries, Coimbatore Arunachalam Muruganantham, Sanskrit scholar Ravindra Nagar were honoured with Padma Shri.
President of Vivekananda Yoga Anushandhan Samathana H R Nagendra, renowned photographer Sudharak Kisan Olwe, environment preserver Simon Oraon, acclaimed classical dancer Prathibha Prahlad, film director S S Rajamouli, founder of Sarkar Diagnostics S S Sarkar were given Padma Shri.
Four Padma Shri award winners or their family members, including that of actor Saeed Jaffrey (posthumous) and Yoga teacher from China Zhang Hui Lan, were not present at the function to receive the honour.