Kolkata: Sitar maestro Pandit Manilal Nag, a celebrated exponent of the Bishnupur gharana, passed away in Kolkata due to age-related ailments.
He was 87.
The Padma Shri awardee, died at a private hospital in the city on Monday night, PTI reported.
His death was described as the end of an era in Indian classical music, by West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.
“Deeply saddened by the passing away of the legendary Sitar Maestro, Padma Shri Pandit Manilal Nag, late last night in Kolkata,” he said in a social media post.
“A towering doyen and the proud torchbearer of West Bengal’s historic Bishnupur Gharana, Pandit Manilal Nag carried the sublime, Dhrupad-steeped strains of our classical heritage to the global stage,” he added.
Nag had also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Indian classical music, Adhikari said.
His devotion to music, mastery of the sitar and commitment to nurturing generations of disciples made him an institution in himself, the CM added.
Nag’s mortal remains would be kept at the State Sangeet Academy to allow his followers and members of the public to pay their last respects.
Born on August 16, 1939, in the Bankura district of the state, Nag was a distinguished exponent of the Bishnupur gharana, known for its Dhrupad-influenced musical tradition.
He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2020 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2001, becoming the first musician from the Bishnupur gharana to receive the honour.
The West Bengal government had honoured him with the Alauddin Purashkar in 2012 and the Banga Bibhushan in 2015.