Veteran Hindustani singers Sumitra Guha and Pandit Laxman Krishnarao Pandit were honored for their contribution to Indian classical music at the 13th Surjotsna National Music Awards held in New Delhi on Friday.Established in memory of Lokmat Sakhi Manch founder Jyotsna Darda, the award recognizes excellence in Indian music and encourages emerging talent through selections in the vocal and instrumental categories every year.The event in Delhi opened and ended with a performance by singer Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa Live.The award ceremony was held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, where Supreme Court Justice Justice Sandeep Mehta presented the awards. Those present included Union Ministers Ramdas Athawale, Shripad Naik and SP Singh Baghel, along with former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Acharya Lokesh Muni, Sant Swami Abhishek Brahmachari, MPs Naveen Jindal, Kartikeya Sharma and Rajeev Shukla, and Punjab Kesari Group Chairman Kiran Chopra.Speaking at the event, Vijay Darda, chairman of the editorial board of Lokmat Media Group and a former Rajya Sabha member, said, “Music brings you closer to another realm. When you connect your life with music, you gain a sense of eternity and spiritual peace. Our country’s classical music has a soul and brings us closer to God.” He also recalled Jyotsna Darda’s deep connection with music and said her vision inspired the creation of a platform to support young musicians.This year’s awards were held in nine cities including Nagpur, Yavatmal, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Kolhapur, Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. Darda said the aim is to celebrate diverse musical traditions and reach a wider audience.
