CM Nayab Saini pays tribute to Suryakavi Pandit Lakhmi Chand
Synopsis
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini paid homage to Suryakavi Pandit Lakhmi Chand on his death anniversary, calling the folk poet's immortal compositions and Saang tradition an enduring pride of Haryana's cultural heritage.
Key Takeaways
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini posted a tribute to Pandit Lakhmi Chand on his death anniversary on 17 October 2026 .
Pandit Lakhmi Chand is known as Suryakavi (Sun-Poet) and is considered the pinnacle of Haryanvi folk culture.
Lakhmi Chand was a master of the Saang tradition — a form of Haryanvi musical folk theatre combining verse, music, and drama.
Saini described Lakhmi Chand's work as giving identity to 'the soil, culture, and folk life of Haryana.' The tribute reflects Haryana's ongoing emphasis on preserving Haryanvi language and performing arts .
On the death anniversary of Pandit Lakhmi Chand — the poet Haryana calls its Suryakavi, the Sun-Poet — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini offered a public tribute on Saturday, 17 October 2026, honouring a man whose voice once carried the soul of an entire region.
Saini wrote: 'A humble tribute to Suryakavi Pandit Lakhmi Chand ji, the pinnacle of Haryana's folk culture and a man who lived in the hearts of the people, on his death anniversary. Through his immortal compositions and the unmatched Saang tradition, Lakhmi Chand ji gave an identity to the soil, culture, and folk life of Haryana — one that will forever remain the pride of our cultural heritage.'
Who was Pandit Lakhmi Chand?
Pandit Lakhmi Chand is widely regarded as the foremost poet and performer of the Haryanvi folk tradition. Bearing the honorific Suryakavi — Sun-Poet — he made his mark primarily through the Saang tradition, a form of musical folk theatre deeply embedded in the rural life of Haryana. His compositions drew on the everyday struggles, mythological references, and moral textures of village existence, giving Haryanvi language and culture a literary stature that outlasted his lifetime.
The Saang form — an open-air performance combining music, verse, and drama — was already a living tradition when Lakhmi Chand entered it, but his contributions elevated it to a canonical art. His works are cited even today in discussions of Haryanvi linguistic identity and performing arts.
Why the anniversary still matters
Tributes to regional cultural icons from state leaders are a consistent feature of Indian political life, but they carry particular weight in Haryana, where the official push to preserve and promote Haryanvi language and folk arts has gathered momentum in recent years. Invoking Lakhmi Chand's name on his death anniversary is both a cultural act and a signal — of where the state chooses to anchor its identity. For artists, performers, and scholars working within the Saang tradition, recognition from the Chief Minister's office keeps the form in public conversation.
The tribute lands on a day the cultural community marks quietly but with reverence — and Saini's post ensures that reverence reaches a far wider audience than it once could.
Point of View
Aligning with Lakhmi Chand's legacy — rooted in rural folk life, Haryanvi language, and the Saang tradition — signals cultural continuity at a time when regional identity politics carry real electoral weight. The tribute is ceremonial in form but strategic in function, keeping a canonical folk voice present in the public sphere.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Pandit Lakhmi Chand?
Pandit Lakhmi Chand was a celebrated Haryanvi folk poet and performer, honoured with the title Suryakavi (Sun-Poet). He is best known for his role in the Saang tradition — a form of open-air musical folk theatre — and for compositions that captured the rural life and culture of Haryana.
What is the Saang tradition?
Saang is a traditional form of Haryanvi folk theatre that combines music, verse, and dramatic performance. It is performed in open-air settings and draws heavily on mythological stories, moral themes, and the everyday life of rural Haryana.
Why does Haryana CM Nayab Saini pay tribute to Lakhmi Chand?
Saini paid tribute on Lakhmi Chand's death anniversary, acknowledging the poet's role in shaping Haryanvi cultural identity through his immortal compositions and unmatched Saang performances. Such tributes also reflect the state government's broader emphasis on preserving Haryanvi language and folk arts.
What does Suryakavi mean?
Suryakavi translates from Hindi and Sanskrit as 'Sun-Poet.' It is an honorific bestowed on Pandit Lakhmi Chand in recognition of his luminous contributions to Haryanvi folk literature and performing arts.
When is Pandit Lakhmi Chand's death anniversary?
Based on the Chief Minister's post, Pandit Lakhmi Chand's death anniversary falls on or around 17 October , the date on which CM Nayab Singh Saini offered his tribute in 2026.
