Union Home Minister Amit Shah Unveils Commemorative Stamp Honoring 50 Years of Pandit Jasraj’s Musical Legacy
New Delhi, 27 DEC 2023 – In a poignant ceremony today, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, released a commemorative Postal Stamp marking the illustrious 50-year legacy of Pandit Jasraj’s revered music festival – ‘Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroha’. The Department of Post, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, issued this special stamp to honor the monumental contribution of the legendary Indian classical vocalist.
Pandit Jasraj, an icon who dedicated over eight decades to immortalizing Indian classical, Pushtimargiya music, and Bhakti Pad of Vaishnav tradition, was remembered with deep reverence by Shri Amit Shah. The Home Minister highlighted Pandit Jasraj’s ability to infuse bhajans with such devotion that the image of Lord Krishna came alive before audiences. Shah acknowledged that Pandit Jasraj elevated Indian classical music and Bhakti Pad to unprecedented heights, earning love and admiration globally. He emphasized that India can never forget Pandit Jasraj’s invaluable contribution to the strengthening of Indian Classical and Bhakti music.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India has chosen to perpetuate Pandit Jasraj’s legacy by releasing this commemorative postal stamp. Amit Shah expressed confidence that this honorable gesture by the government will rekindle memories of Pandit Jasraj in the hearts of his ardent fans.
The ‘Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroha’ was initiated by Pandit Jasraj in 1972, a musical expression of love dedicated to the memory of his father, Sangeet Ratna Pandit Motiram ji, and his elder brother and Guru, Sangeet Mahamopadhyay Pandit Maniram ji. For 47 uninterrupted years, Pandit Jasraj personally hosted this annual Sangeet Samaroh, making it the oldest festival in Hyderabad. The legacy is now carried forward by the Pandit Jasraj Cultural Foundation.
Present at the stamp release ceremony were Ms. Durga Jasraj, daughter of Pandit Jasraj, and Pandit Dinesh, son of Pandit Maniram ji & grandson of Pandit Motiram ji, along with several other dignitaries. The commemorative stamp serves as a tribute to Pandit Jasraj’s unparalleled contribution to Indian classical music and his enduring impact on the cultural landscape of the nation.
