Hindustani singer awarded

MANGALORE:  “I am overwhelmed and speechless,’’ Hindustani singer Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty said after being presented with Alva’s Virasat award at the Alva’s Virasat being organised by Alva’s Education Foundation ]at Shova Vana in Mijar near Moodbidri on Thursday.He humbly acknowledged as never being felt like an achiever but a ‘student and a servant of music’. “All I did was a service to the society through music for the past 55 years.  “I treasure the value of practicing humanity through teaching music to my students,’’ he said.  He was carried in a palanquin onto the stage and cash prize of `1 lakh and a citation. He stressed that classical music is a rich heritage of India. Nitte University Chancellor  N Vinaya Hegde described AEF chairman Dr M Mohan Alva as a model to the youth. Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade said that for a mind to achieve equilibrium, free of mundane worries and stress, it was possible only through music, keerthanas and bhajans. Good music in turn creates positive minds, he added.Describing Mohan Alva’s initiatives in organising literary and cultural programmes throughout the year as a ‘successful experiment,’ he said that educationists must note that the institution has achieved an impressive 95 percentage pass.MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA Abhaychandra Jain among others were present. The formal programme was followed by a violin recital and pulsating Punjabi bhangra.