On January 26, 2026, the family and followers of Bihar's iconic folk dancer Vishwa Bandhu expressed happiness over his posthumous Padma Shri award. He is one of three people from Bihar honored in the 2026 Padma Awards announced by the Central government. Arpana Kumari, his youngest daughter, told PTI, "We are extremely happy that the Padma Shree Award will be bestowed upon him posthumously. Had this happened in his lifetime, it would have been fantastic." She added, "He had dedicated his entire life to art... he had hoped for this recognition." Kumari recalled that Vishwa Bandhu began folk dancing at a very young age when it was rare for boys to choose dance as a career. His disciple, Jitendra Kumar Chaurasia, said, "My dream has come true with this recognition. It was my heartfelt desire that he should receive it. This feels like our own achievement, an achievement for the art world of Bihar." Chaurasia praised Vishwa Bandhu for giving a modern touch to Bihar’s traditional folk dances, saying, "By adding creativity and innovation to Bihar’s traditional dance forms, he gave those a new dimension that became very popular among the masses." Vishwa Bandhu performed over 6,000 shows and helped rural communities by providing free dance training. Along with him, agriculture scientist Gopalji Trivedi and Bhojpuri folk singer Bharat Singh Bharti were also awarded Padma Shri from Bihar.