Awardees A.K.C. Natarajan, H.S. Sudhindra, B.S. Purushotham along with Chief Guest Uma Nanduri, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, New Delhi and Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, Nandini Ramani at Inauguration of Annual Music Festival 2024 in Mylapore on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ
It is crucial to engage the youth in arts by fostering a deeper, spiritual connection with artforms, ensuring they not only appreciate but also actively support and practice cultural traditions, said Uma Nanduri, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, at the inauguration of Chennai Fine Arts’ Annual Music Festival 2024 on Saturday.
Over the past few years, the Ministry has been focused on revamping and expanding its efforts to support artists and art forms, particularly outside the capital, Ms. Nanduri said. She emphasised the importance of cultivating music lovers, as they are essential to the sustainability of art forms.
At the event, Ms. Nanduri, along with mridangam maestro Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Bharatanatyam dancer Nandini Ramani and PN Muralidharan, Founder & Managing Trustee of Chennai Fine Arts, conferred the title ‘Digvijaya Nadavani‘ and presented the Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar International Award of Excellence to clarinet maestro AKC Natarajan. The award included a gold medal, citation, and ₹1 lakh cash prize.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Natarajan, at the age of 96, expressed his gratitude for the recognition, calling it a testament to his dedication to his profession. He also remembered many artists who did not receive the recognition they deserved during their lifetimes.
HS Sudhindra, mridangam player, was honored with the Pudukottai Sri Dakshinamurthy Pillai Puraskar, and kanjira artist BS Purushothaman was presented with the Laya Puraskar, each accompanied by a ₹10,000 cash prize.
Published – December 22, 2024 12:41 am IST
