ONGC CMD and Director (HR) Dr Alka Mittal was conferred the Virasat Samman on 15 April 2022 during the Virasat Heritage Festival, a 15-day arts and culture festival hosted in Dehradun. The prestigious award was presented to Dr Mittal for her exemplary contribution in the field of preservation and promotion of art and culture of the country

The award was presented to Dr Alka Mittal by DGP Uttarakhand Ashok Kumar, IPS,
in the presence of MD ONGC Videsh Alok Gupta and General Secretary (Reach) RK Singh

The program was initiated by the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Dr Mittal, who was also
the Chief Guest on the occasion, and Mr Kumar, the Guest of Honour

MD ONGC Videsh Alok Gupta, Chief-CSR Somesh Ranjan, Alok Mittal,
Alaknanda Kumar and Deepika Gupta were also present on the occasion

Dr Mittal speaking on the occasion

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Alka Mittal said that Dehradun is a part of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and it is also the Janambhoomi of ONGC. “We started from here. ONGC owes it to Dehradun to promote the efforts of keeping our heritage alive and what can be better than ‘Virasat’ - the term itself meaning heritage,” she said while assuring all help from ONGC for Virasat, which has been nurtured by ONGC since its inception 25 years ago.

“We all are here to celebrate our rich heritage, our art, and culture. I would like to compliment the team of REACH for making efforts and reaching out to not only the remotest corner of Uttarakhand but the entire country, and bringing the folk and other traditions to Dehradun” Dr Mittal added.  

CMD also conveyed her best wishes to Team REACH for their successful conduct of the Virasat Arts and Heritage Festival on the occasion.

DGP Uttarakhand also congratulated Team REACH on the occasion

Mr Kumar said that organizing an event, like Virasat, reflects the commitment of Team REACH to the cause of promoting and preserving the rich heritage of our country.

“Today, Virasat has attained the status of one of the biggest Afro-Asian heritage festivals, which is a matter of pride for Uttarakhand,” he added.

MD ONGC Videsh Alok Gupta also extended compliments to Team REACH for their continued efforts in promoting the Virasat Festival. “The country has rich cultural traditions and bringing various forms on one platform is a herculean task. However, Team REACH has done it successfully and created a platform for the people to come together and celebrate the cultural heritage of India,” Mr Gupta said.

Mr Gupta complimented Team REACH for their immense efforts in promoting Virasat at the gathering

General Secretary – REACH RK Singh warmly welcomed the dignitaries and profusely thanked ONGC for providing its continued support to promote Virasat. He also thanked Dr Mittal for taking out some time to grace the occasion despite her busy schedule.

Earlier, the dignitaries were welcomed in a traditional manner by Cholia troupe of Kumaon, Uttarakhand, and were escorted to the venue with a display of rich folk tradition of Uttarakhand.

The cultural performance began with ‘Choliy Nrutya’ from Uttarakhand, followed by a performance by the Anveshna Group with the amalgamation of Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam, contemporary, Chau and Karyalipatu. The program left the audience mesmerized.

Glimpses of the cultural program