Eminent Hindi writers Ramdarash Mishra and Narendra Kohli have been awarded the prestigious Vyas Samman for 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Instituted by the K K Birla Foundation in 1991, the award is given annually for an outstanding literary work in Hindi published during the past 10 years. The award carries a cash purse of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Mishra bagged the award for his tenth Kavya Sangrah 'Aam K Patte' which was published in 2004 while Kohli was selected for the award for his novel 'Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati' based on Swami Vivekananda and the era he belonged to.
'Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati', published in 2004, gives an account of the incredible impression that Vivekananda cast on the history of the country and its culture.
The awards were presented by Surya Prasad Dixit, chairman of the award selection committee.
Speaking on the occasion, Dixit said, "Despite all its shortcomings, the feudal system gave significance to art and culture which is missing in the current democratic system.
