Left to Right: Suresh Wadkar, Ashish Shelar, Hridaynath Mangeshkar with Nana Patekar | Picasa
Padma Shri Hridaynath Mangeshkar was awarded the Uttam Vag-Geyakar Jialal Vasant Award at the Ajivasan Vasantotsav 2025 for his extraordinary contributions to Indian music.
The event, which was was held on March 9, was hosted by the Acharya Jialal Vasant Sangeet Niketan. The annual festival honours the legacy of its founder, Acharya Jialal Vasant, kwhile recognising some of the greatest musical minds of our time.
Suresh Wadkar, Sonu Nigam, with Nana Patekar | Picasa
Picasa
Suresh Wadkar & Kaushiki Chakraborty | Picasa
Hridaynath Mangeshkar , Nana Patekar, Usha Mangeshkar with Anup Jalota. | Picasa
The Uttam Vag-Geyakar Award, among the most respected in classical music, carried a prize of ₹1,11,000 and a citation engraved on a silver brick weighing 1.25 kg. In addition, the evening also featured the presentation of Swami Haridas Award and Master Madan Award.
The evenin saw the presence of some of the most revered personalities from the world of music and arts, including Suresh Wadkar, Anup Jalota, Sonu Nigam, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Kaushiki Chakraborty, MLA Ashish Shelar, Nana Patekar, among others.
Nana Patekar | Picasa
Usha Mangeshkar | Picasa
Anup Jalota | Picasa
Suresh Wadkar & Nana Patekar | Picasa
This year’s Vasantotsav coincided with the birthday of Ustad Zakir Hussain who had been a part of this event for years. In his honour, the festival was dedicated to his lasting musical legacy, and the inaugural Ustad Zakir Hussain Award was launched to celebrate and inspire the finest musicians of the future.
The audience was enthralled by a soul-stirring performance from renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty Ji, alongside her ensemble.
”Ajivasan Vasantotsav has always been more than just a celebration of music. It is a tribute to the timeless legacy of Acharya Jialal Vasant Ji and the rich traditions of Indian classical music,” said Wadkar at the function.
