PUNE: Punyabhushan Foundation (Tridal, Pune) has announced that this year's Punyabhushan Award is to be conferred upon veteran vocalist Dr Prabha Atre. The artiste is being awarded for her valuable contribution in the field of Indian classical music.
This is the 30th year of the prestigious award, and along with Atre, six freedom fighters will also be felicitated. Raghunath Gangaram Lakeshree, Balbeer Singh, Sandeep Bajirao Ukirde, Vinita Ashok Kamte (wife of late Ashok Kamte), Dindayal Varma and Pralhad Krushnarao Rebhe will be felicitated at the ceremony.
Atre will be felicitated with an effigy of young Shivaji ploughing the farmland with a golden plough and Rs 1 lakh cash.
A committee appointed under Dr Raghunath Mashelkar carried out the selection process for the award. The award ceremony will soon be carried out where Atre will be felicitated by the veterans in her field like Pt Hariprasad Chaurasiya, Pt Jasraj, Pt Amjad Ali Khan, Pt Shivkumar Sharma, etc.
In the past 30 years, eminent personalities like Pt Bhimsen Joshi, Shantanurao Kirloskar, Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare, Dr Mohan Dharia and many more have been felicitated with the Punyabhushan award.