Gayatri Sankaran

The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting the Padma Shri Award – 2006 to visually challenged music prodigy Smt. (Dr.)Gayatri Sankaran, in New Delhi on March 20, 2006 Dr. Gayatri Sankaran is an Indian Carnatic musician and vocalist specialising in Carnatic vocals and violin performances. She is a recipient of the Kalaimamani award from Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram, a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu. The Government of India honoured her in 2006 with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to music, making her the first visually impaired woman to receive the award.

Biography Dr. Gayatri Sankaran is a Carnatic Vocalist, Violist, Veena exponent. She hails from Samalkot, Andhra Pradesh and moved for long term to Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. She started learning music at the age of three, from her mother, Subbulakshmi Gurunathan and later from Allamraju Someswara Rao. She is reported to have developed braille notations for music She is also a member of the Programme Committee of the South Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture and the Awards Selection Committee Member of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.

Gayatri, an empanelled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), is a recipient of several awards and honours such as National Award for Role Model from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, Surmani from the Sur Singer Samsath, Mumbai, Isai Chudar from Lioness club of South Chennai, Special Pallavi Singer from Krishna Gana Sabha, Best Teacher award from the Maragatham Chandrasekhar Trust, Gana Kuyil award from the Canada Hindu Cultural Council and the Professional Excellence Award from the Rotary Club of Madras. She has also received the Indian Fine Arts Society award thrice, World Telugu Federation award, Padma Sadhana award, Ascendas Excellence award and Swarna Tarangini award from Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development. The Government of India awarded her the civilian honour of Padma Shri from Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006, making her the first visually challenged woman to receive the award. Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram of the Government of Tamil Nadu awarded her the title Kalaimamani in 2011.