Usha Mangeshkar to receive first Bhupen Hazarika National Award: Himanta
The Assam government has instituted the Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika National Award, with eminent singer Usha Mangeshkar selected as the first recipient, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on October 23.
- Oct 23, 2026,
- Updated Oct 23, 2026, 8:23 PM IST
The Assam government has instituted the Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika National Award, with eminent singer Usha Mangeshkar selected as the first recipient, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on October 23.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the award at the concluding ceremony of the year-long birth centenary celebrations of the legendary singer at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on November 29, Sarma said at a press conference.
The award will be conferred every three years and carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a citation.
Sarma said around 5,000 to 7,000 people from across the country are expected to attend the concluding event, which will celebrate Hazarika's artistic legacy and his contributions to music, poetry and humanist philosophy.
Renowned singers Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal, along with artistes from Assam, will pay a musical tribute to the maestro, the Chief Minister said.
An exhibition will also be organised to showcase Hazarika's timeless creations and introduce his work to a wider international audience.
Sarma said the concluding ceremony would highlight the cultural icon's contribution to Assam and the country, while taking his message of humanity, harmony and universal brotherhood to future generations.
Popularly known as the 'Bard of the Brahmaputra', Hazarika's music and literary works transcended geographical and cultural boundaries, bringing people together through the universal language of music, he added.
The year-long birth centenary celebrations began last year, with Modi attending a special tribute event dedicated to the singer. On the occasion, the Prime Minister released a commemorative Rs 100 coin issued in Hazarika's honour and a biography titled Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika.
Born on September 8, 1926, at Sadiya in Assam's Tinsukia district, Hazarika died in Mumbai on November 5, 2011. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2019.