To commemorate its 73rd Foundation Day,Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan organised a three-day festival of Music and Dance - Bhavans Sangeet Samaroh - from November 6 to 8 in New Delhi. To mark this occasion,Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan announced a prestigious Bhavans Sangeet Shikhar Samman to honour a renowned artiste in the field of music At a press conference on October 29 at India International Centre,New Delhi,it had been revealed that this award will be conferred on Ustad Fariduddin Dagar,an eminent Dhrupad vocalist for his great contribution,dedication and devotion to the field of Music. He was felicitated with a purse of rupees one lakh,Prasasti Patra (Scroll) and a shawl. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has also decided that this will be an annual feature and will continue to confer this award to an eminent artiste in the field of Dance,Music and Instrumental Music to promote Indian Culture. During the three-day festival,eminent artistes Shovana Narayan (Kathak),Ulhas Kashalkar (Hindustani Vocal),Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod),Alarmel Valli (Bharatanatyam),Sudha Raghunathan (Carnatic Vocal),Pt. Dhruba Ghosh (Sarangi) and Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flute) also performed. The novelty of the programme this year was the morning session on November 7, in which Ustad Amjad Ali Khan presented the morning raags.
