Fr. Anand Chirayath Honoured with Navchetana Media Award for Pioneering Work in Christian Media

Bhopal, Jan 14, 2026: In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Christian media and evangelisation in North India, Fr. Anand Chirayath, Founder Director of Atmadarshan TV, was conferred the prestigious Navchetana Media Award 2025. The award was presented at a solemn function organised by Navchetana, the MP Regional Centre for Communication, founded in Bhopal in 1990.

Congratulating the awardee, Bishop A. A. S. Durairaj of Bhopal, who conferred the award, compared Fr. Anand’s mission to the message of the angels to the shepherds at the birth of Jesus: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” He remarked that Fr. Anand is truly bringing the Good News that creates great joy among thousands, adding that, true to his name Anand, which means joy, he spreads joy through his media ministry.

Introducing the awardee, Fr. James M. L. CMI, Director of Navchetana, highlighted Fr. Anand’s prophetic vision in recognising the power of media as a vital instrument for strengthening the faith of Christians in North India and for effective evangelisation. He noted that Fr. Anand, a recipient of the CCBI New Evangelisation Award (2016–17), truly qualifies as a “media evangelist.”

Receiving the award, Fr. Anand humbly acknowledged that he is not professionally trained in communications but was led into media ministry by the call of the Lord. He expressed deep gratitude to Bishop Chacko of Indore, former Bishop of Indore, whose encouragement and support were crucial to the growth of Atmadarshan TV. He also thanked his dedicated and spirited team, whose commitment to proclaiming the Good News has been the backbone of the channel’s success.

Fr. Anand founded Atmadarshan TV with the mission of taking the message of Christ to the nooks and corners of the Hindi-speaking world. Through innovative, attractive, and high-quality presentations of the Gospel, Atmadarshan has succeeded in engaging people of all ages, especially the youth. Fr. James remarked that every Catholic media house today functions as a “digital parish,” shepherding thousands of digital parishioners. Atmadarshan TV, he added, reaches close to a million viewers every day.

Through its vibrant media ministry, particularly its inspiring reality shows, Atmadarshan has opened sacred spaces for Christian youth and artists to discover their vocation in evangelisation, transforming talent into testimony and creativity into communion. The channel has also provided a significant platform for the laity in North India to engage deeply with Sacred Scripture. Its Scripture and faith-formation programmes are widely regarded as among the best Hindi Christian content available today. Atmadarshan’s professionally produced films have also received national recognition, including accolades at the Dadasaheb Phalke Awards.

With vision, faith, and perseverance, Fr. Anand and the Atmadarshan team have transformed Atmadarshan TV into a radiant beacon of hope—a living heartbeat of the spiritual life of North India. Navchetana honours eminent personalities in the field of media communication once every three years for their exemplary service.

By Fr. Nithin CMI,

Program Coordinator, Navchetana