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New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) Legendary tabla player Kishan Maharaj, violin virtuoso T N Krishnan, Kathak danseuse Rohini Bhate and theatre personality Gursharan Singh were today conferred Sangeet Natak Akademi's ''Ratna'' (Fellows) by President APJ Abdul Kalam at a function here today.

The 'Ratna', the highest award of the country's apex body for performing arts, is restricted to 30 eminent living personalities at any given time.

In addition, 33 prominent artists were also given the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 2006, the highest national recognition given to practising artistes.

The award carries a purse money of Rs. 50,000, a shawl and a Tamrapatra (a brass plaque) for excellence in the fields of music, dance, theatre and puppetry.

The awardees include Vijay Kichlu and Rashid Khan (Hindustani vocalists), Shahid Parvez Khan (sitar), D Pasupathy and Chingleput Ranganathan (Carnatic vocal), Kumar Bose (tabla), N Ravi Kiran (Carnatic Instrumental - chitra veena) and Thiruvaarur Bhakthavatsalam (Carnatic instrumental - Mridangam).

In the category of dance, S. Narmada (Bharatnatyam), Kottakkal Chandrasekharan (Kathakali), Kalamanadalam Vimala Menon (Mohiniattam) and Pasumarthy Rattiah (Kuchipudi) were among the winners.

For excellence in theatre, the awardees are Prabhat Kumar Bhattacharya (playwriting), R Nagesh, Amitava Dasgupta and E Joychandra Singh (direction), Geta Dey, K Kaladharan and Dharani Burman (acting) and Gautam Bhattacharya (allied theatre arts - lighting).

Ms Rekha Jain has been selected in the category of Overall Contribution to Performing Arts.

In the category of awards for excellence in traditional, folk, tribal music, dance, theatre and puppetry, the awardees include Syed Iqbal Malangami (folk musician from Kashmir), Naurang Lal Bhat (puppeteer from Rajasthan), K Aravamudha Chariar (Hari Katha, Tamil Nadu) and Sharif Idu (Dhadi folk music, Punjab).

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