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FTCC confer LalonPurashkar to the senior artistes, Sudhi Pradhan Puraskar to the junior creative artists, Thakur PanchananBarmaPurashkar to the folk artists of North Bengal and Pandit Raghunath MurmuPurashkar to the tribal intellectuals.
Thakur Panchanan Barma (1866- 1935), was born in Khalismari village of Mathabhanga subdivision, CochBehar, in a middle-class family of Rajbanshi community.He was a social activist who dedicated his life for the upliftment of the Rajbanshi's.Every year an award named as Thakur Panchanan Barma Puraskar, is awarded to the distinguished folk artistes of North Bengal for theircontribution in the field of folk culture.
One of the distinct folk forms in the field of folk cuture of North Bengal is Mecheni Gaan. Mecheni Gaan is basically the song of the inhabitants on the river banks of Teesta, usually sung after the fulfilment of one's desire, for the well-being of the members of the family and of the aspiration related to the fertility of the soil. Budheswari Roy at an age over eighty years is still a renowned artiste of Mecheni Gaan. She lost her mother at a tender age and her father nurtured her with a love of both father and mother. As a childhood she started learning Mecheni Gaan from her father. As an inhabitant of Pakkhinathpur of Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri disrict, her family tradition of singing Mecheni Gaan is still her life. She never went to any educational institution, but she with the help of the village women folks gets the lyrics written, which comes out from her soul. She then creates the melody and sings them one village to the other. Even at this age her tireless efforts in promotion and dissemination of Mecheni Gaan is indisputable. The contribution of Budheswari Roy to carry on her family tradition of singing Mechani Gaan is adorable.
