9th Guru M.L. Koser – Shobha Koser Award Ceremony

Date: 20th February 2013

Venue: Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh

The 9th edition of the Guru Madan Lal Koser & Guru Shobha Koser Award, instituted by Pracheen Kala Kendra to honour the creativity, devotion, and enduring legacy of its founders, Guru Shobha Koser and the late Guru Madan Lal Koser, was held at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, on February 20, 2013.

This year, the prestigious award was presented to Santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori and renowned Kathak exponent Guru Shovana Narayan for their outstanding lifetime contributions to the promotion of Indian classical music and dance. Each award carried a cash prize of ₹51,000, along with a memento, a shawl, and a citation. The awards were conferred by Shri Jagannath Pahadia, Governor of Haryana, in a glittering ceremony that celebrated artistic excellence.

The evening concluded with mesmerizing performances by the honoured maestros. Pandit Bhajan Sopori enthralled the audience with his Santoor recital, accompanied by Akram Khan on Tabla. Guru Shovana Narayan’s captivating Kathak performance was enhanced by the accompaniment of Shakeel Ahmed Khan on Tabla, Madho Prasad on vocals, Vijay Sharma on Sitar, and technical support by Nitin Jain.