Saraswati Samman

{{Short description|Indian literary award}}

{{Infobox award

| name = Saraswati Samman

| subheader =

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption =

| awarded_for =

| sponsor = K. K. Birla Foundation{{cite web | title =About Saraswati Samman|work= K.K. Birla Foundation | url = http://www.kkbirlafoundation.org/saraswati.html | accessdate = 2014-09-23 }}

| date = {{start date and age|1991}}

| location = Delhi

| reward = ₹15,00,000

| holder_label = Most recent winner

| holder = Bhadreshdas Swami

| country = India

| award1_type = Total awarded

| award1_winner = 34

| award2_type = First winner

| award2_winner = Harivansh Rai Bachchan

| presenter =

| host =

| year =

| year2 =

| website =

| image2 =

| image2size =

| alt2 =

| caption2 =

| previous =

| main =

| next =

}}

The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 23 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.{{Cite news|title=Saraswati Samman for Prof Paniker|date=19 February 2006|newspaper=The Tribune|location=Chandigarh, India|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060220/cth1.htm#21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216215051/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060220/cth1.htm#21|archivedate=16 December 2006|url-status=live}} It is named after the Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati.

The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K. K. Birla Foundation. It consists of ₹15,00,000,{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/community/padma-sachdev-to-get-saraswati-samman/221490.html|title = Padma Sachdev to get Saraswati Samman}} a citation and a plaque.{{Cite news|title=Saraswati Samman for writer Bhyrappa|date=6 April 2011|newspaper=The Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Saraswati-Samman-for-writer-Bhyrappa/articleshow/7880219.cms|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205115539/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Saraswati-Samman-for-writer-Bhyrappa/articleshow/7880219.cms|archivedate=5 December 2011|url-status=dead}} Candidates are selected from literary works published in the previous ten years by a panel that included scholars and former award winners. The inaugural award was given to Harivanshrai 'Bachchan' for his four volume autobiography, Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon, Needa Ka Nirman Phir, Basere Se Door and Dashdwar se Sopan Tak.{{cite web|title = Saraswati Samman Recipients|work=K.K. Birla Foundation| url = http://www.kkbirlafoundation.org/saraswati-r.html| accessdate = 2014-09-23}}