Violine Legend N Rajam Receives Padma Vibhushan

An eminent violinist N Rajam was hounered with the prestigious national award Padma Vibhushan on 25 May 2026 at the ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The award was presented by President Draupadi Murmu. This is the significant success in her career as it is the second highest civilian honour that acknowledges the respected individuals with exceptional service to the nation.

She was recognized with the award for her extraordinary contribution to the Hindustan Classical music. One of the most famous contributions of her to classical music includes developing Gayaki Ang on violin. This technique not only allows the violin to imitate the emotional depth but also allows it to capture vocal expressions.

N Rajam was born in Chennai and her father A. Narayana Iyer was her first trainer. Later she was trained professionally by legendry guru Pandit Omkarnath Thakur as well as also served for decades at Banaras Hindu University, with which she shaped the future generation of musicians.

She dedicated the award to her parents and gurus who played the significant roles in guiding her throughout her musical path as well as expressed gratitude for such a major recognition while calling it a blessing. The award celebrated her lifelong journey and dedication to preserving Indian classical music.