Ahmedabad: A 17-year-old differently-abled Om Jignesh Vyas from Ahmedabad was awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President Droupadi Murmu today at the event held in New Delhi.

Om Vyas received this national award for his exceptional achievements in the fields of art and culture. He was among the 17 children in seven categories who were awarded this prize.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel praised Om Vyas for his achievements and congratulated him for bringing pride to Gujarat. He had earlier met Om Vyas and his parents in Gandhinagar, where he expressed how Om’s accomplishments would inspire other differently-abled individuals.

Talking about Om Vyas’ special abilities, he cannot read or write, but he has memorized over 200 verses from Sanskrit, including from the Sundarkand and Bhagavad Gita. It is surprising that Om takes an interest only in devotional songs and verses, considering spiritual devotional songs as his source of entertainment. As Om grows older, his interest in the spiritual realm has only increased.

In addition, Om has memorized prayers like Hanuman Chalisa, Shiv Mahimna Stotra, Shiv Manas Pooja, Ram Raksha Stotra, Shiv Tandav, Gayatri Mantra, Gayatri Chalisa, Sai Bhavani Stotras, and “Mari Hindi Swikar Kariyo Maharaj, Shambhu Sharane Padi,” among others. Notably, Om has memorized all these verses just by listening to them.

Om Vyas has participated in many shows and has been honored with numerous awards, medals, trophies, and certificates. His talent has earned him a place in several record books, including the Limca Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, and India Book of Records, among others.

In 2017, differently-abled Om Vyas was also awarded the National Award for Differently-Abled by then-President Ram Nath Kovind, and the Prime Minister praised his achievements. DeshGujarat