Naren Gurung
A Sikkimese folk singer, composer and researcher who has spent decades reviving Nepali folk songs and dances, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
Naren Gurung has been collecting, performing and teaching the folk songs and dances of Sikkim’s Nepali community for more than four decades. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Sikkim [1].
From teacher to performer
Gurung was born on 21 January 1957 [2]. He began as a primary teacher at Dikling High School, now in Pakyong district, and in 1979 the Sikkim government moved him to its new Song and Drama unit, of which he was a founding artist [2]. There he worked as a singer, musician, choreographer and actor [2].
Keeping traditions alive
He has researched and revived a wide range of Nepali folk forms, including Maruni, Sorathi, Tamang Selo and Deusi-Bhailo, many of which were fading [2]. He has written books on Nepali folk songs, and has performed across India and in the Americas and Africa [2].
He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004 and the Sikkim Sewa Samman in 2022 [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for Naren Gurung — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
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