The Sahitya Akademi Award 2026 has been announced by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India on Monday (March 16, 2026). The Union Culture Ministry has announced to honor famous writer Mamta Kalia with the prestigious award for her written memoir ‘Jeete Ji Allahabad’.
Writer Mamta Kalia has expressed happiness after winning the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award. He said that I am very happy that the memoir genre has got a place in the award list of Sahitya Akademi this time. He said that I had written this book with great passion and when I wrote it, I had a lot of fun while writing it, because I was wandering in the streets of my beloved city, roaming on the streets and I had made Allahabad alive for myself.
After living in the city for 30 years, it becomes one’s own: Mamta
While talking to news agency PTI, writer Mamta Kalia said, ‘While writing this book, I remembered the life there, the friends there, the friendship there, the mischiefs there. I even liked the dusty roads there and I wrote this book in the same way that when you live in a city for 30 years, that city becomes your own.
VIDEO | Delhi: On winning the Sahitya Kala Akademi Award for her memoir ‘Jeete Jee Allahabad’, writer Mamta Kalia says, “… I had written this book with a lot of dedication. I really enjoyed writing it. I was walking around in the streets of my favorite city and I had awakened… pic.twitter.com/N4E7cUtM3b
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 16, 2026
Union Minister Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) posts, “#Sahitya_Akademi_Award_2025 Honoring the writers of 24 recognized languages ​​of the country is a proud symbol of our rich linguistic diversity and literary heritage. senior #Dogri Poet Thakur Satsai and #Kashmiri… pic.twitter.com/3Zak8Xa1cw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 16, 2026
He said, ‘The book ‘Jeete Ji Allahabad’ contains the streets, roads, life of Allahabad and the whole turbulent atmosphere there, in which writers live, breathe, become and sometimes even die there.’
What did Mamta Kalia say on changing the name of Allahabad?
On changing the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj, writer Mamta Kalia said, ‘Allahabad in itself has been a very big historical, cultural and spiritual city and this city has had a great impact on the people. You can’t hear the captivating beauty of nature there, the way autumn falls on Punappa Road and the way dry leaves crunch, that sound cannot be heard anywhere else.
He said, ‘The way children pluck mangoes and guavas from trees in Company Bagh, that sight cannot be found anywhere else. Allahabad is a complete environment in itself. On one side there is the High Court, where even the biggest judges are interested in literature.
Also read: ‘Anti-women step’, Mamata Banerjee got angry when the Election Commission removed the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary in Bengal.
