Haricharan Saikia is an Indian Sattriya dance exponent from Assam. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2026, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the preservation, practice and promotion of Sattriya, a classical dance form of Assam.৯৬ বছৰ বয়সতো সত্ৰীয়া সংস্কৃতিৰ প্ৰসাৰ-প্ৰচাৰত ব্যস্ত পদ্মশ্ৰী হৰিচৰণ শইকীয়া
Early life and training Saikia was raised at the Old Kamalabari Satra in Majuli, where he began learning Sattriya dance under the guidance of renowned guru Maniram Dutta Borbayan during his childhood.
Career Saikia devoted his life to the practice, promotion, and teaching of Sattriya dance. He has performed widely at cultural programmes in Assam and other parts of India. During his career, he also performed before India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at a cultural event in New Delhi. In 2011, he was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his artistic mastery and sustained service to Indian classical dance.
Despite his advanced age, Saikia continued to teach Sattriya at his own institution and remained actively engaged in mentoring younger practitioners. His recognition with the Padma Shri highlights his lifelong contribution to preserving Assam’s cultural heritage.Contribution of all Padma awardess from Assam inspiring: Himanta
Awards and recognition Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2011) Padma Shri (2026)Padma Awards 2026 announced: Dharmendra, Rohit Sharma, Uday Kotak among recipients; here’s the full list
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