Madhavi Mudgal, Biswajit Roy , Kusum Aggarwal to get French awards

New Delhi, July 13 (UNI) The French Government will honour renowned Odissi dancer Madhavi Mudgal, sarod exponent Biswajit Roy Chowdhury and scholar Kusum Aggarwal on the French National Day tomorrow.

The awards will be presented by French Ambassador Dominique Girard on the eve of his departure after a fruitful tenure in India.

Madhavi, a disciple of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, will receive the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters for her commitment to the continuation of Odissi dance form as well as for the refined sensibility she has brought to it.

Biswajit, a disciple of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, will also get the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, for his contribution to music.

Kusum, an Associate Professor in French at Delhi University, will receive the Knight of the Palmes Academiques for her deep association with the French language which spans over twenty years, involving extensive research into the linguistic nuances of French literature in sub-Saharan Africa.

The French National Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille which took place on July 14, 1789 and heralded the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille-- which is a prison-- symbolised the absolute power of King Louis XVI and thus its fall marked a victory for liberty, equality and fraternity.

UNI