The deodar cedar is indigenous to the Himalayas, where its local name Devdar translates from the original Sanskrit as "timber of the gods". But during the British Raj, the pine tree — a more eroding species with better commercial value — got extensively cultivated in regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal. Today, we need more diverse and native varieties of plants (like the deodar) to build the resilience of our mountains. This prize is a tribute to the tree that grounds our soil, gives us its seed in the deodar cedar cone, and builds our home in the mountain

This year, the Deodar 2026 prize is dedicated to the "short story" — a format that goes back 5000 years. The Epic of Gilgamesh — the oldest recorded short story — reveals the emerging consciousness of humankind, as it was stepping out of the Neolithic era. But as a larger example, it shows us how stories best capture, and fossilise, the cultural imagination of any time.