Award instituted in Hariprasad Chaurasia`s name

Mumbai: Carnatic flautist Dr N Ramani will be honoured with the first Padmavibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia Puraskar for his contribution in the field, an official said Monday.

Instituted by NGO Gurukul Pratishthan, the award will comprise a citation, a memento and a cash prize of Rs.25,000. Gurukul Pratishthan was established as an academy of music in 2006 by Vivek Sonar, another well-known flautist and a disciple of Chaurasia. "Dr. Ramani will be the recipient of the first Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia Puraskar. This is the first award dedicated to the instrumentalist (Chaurasia)," Sonar said. The award will be presented to Ramani Jan 19 during the Bansuri Utsav by Chaurasia. Bansuri Utsav is a two-day show in its fifth edition, which includes a flute symphony led by Vivek Sonar. It will also see performances by Chaurasia (flute), Pandit Kumar Bose (tabla) and Pandit Bhawani Shankar (pakhawaj). Chaurasia said: "I feel honoured and overwhelmed as my shishya (disciple) Vivek has instituted the award in my name. It is a matter of great pride for me to present the first award." IANS