Vinayak Vishnu Khedekar

Vinayak Vishnu Khedekar (born 29 September 1938) is an Indian writer and folklorist. He has made contributions to the preservation and promotion of Goa's cultural heritage. He received several awards, including the Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Gomant Vibhushan, Dr. Komal Kothari Smriti (Lifetime Achievement) Lok Kala Puraskar, the Kala Akademi's Literary Award for his book Gomantakiya Loka Kala, and the State Award from the Government of Goa, and Government of Daman & Diu.

Early life Vinayak Vishnu Khedekar was born on 29 September 1938 in Savoi-Verem, Portuguese Goa. Born into a Brahmin priestly family, he served as a Hindu priest in the 1950s. His family's livelihood was farming on small, irrigated lands and serving as priests in rural households.

Khedekar did not attend school or receive formal education, however, he learned to read and write from his sister. The couple have a son and two daughters.

Career Khedekar was a mentor to the Kala Academy, Goa and later served as its member secretary for 23 years.

During his service at the Academy, he played a crucial role in identifying, presenting and popularizing the rural and tribal folk art forms of Goa. Due to his special interest in the fields of folk literature, folk culture and drama, he successfully implemented many activities in the academy. He has implemented various programmes showcasing the diverse cultural heritage of Goa, including Bhajans, Kirtans and contemporary art forms. He also wrote columns in various Marathi magazines. In 2022 he was elected a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi for his contributions to Indian music. In 2023, he was awarded Gomant Vibhushan, Goa government's highest civilian award, for the year 2019–20.