Ajivasan Vasantotsav 2025 unfolded as a spectacular evening celebrating music, heritage, and legendary artistry. Hosted by the prestigious Acharya Jialal Vasant Sangeet Niketan, this annual festival honoured the legacy of its visionary founder, Acharya Jialal Vasant Ji, while recognizing some of the greatest musical minds of our time.
Ajivasan Vasantotsav 2025 saw the presence of some of the most revered personalities from the world of music and arts, including Suresh Wadkar, Anup Jalota, Sonu Nigam, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Kaushiki Chakraborty, shish Shelar, Nana Patekar, Sharmistha Chatterjee, Pratibha Baghel, Yogesh Lakhani and more.
The highlight of the evening was the conferral of the Uttam Vag-Geyakar Jialal Vasant Award upon the iconic Padma Shri Hridaynath Mangeshkar Ji for his extraordinary contributions to Indian music. The award, among the most respected in classical music, carried a prize of ₹1,11,000 and a citation engraved on a silver brick weighing 1.25 kg. In addition to the Uttam Vag-Geyakar Award, the evening also featured the presentation of Swami Haridas Award and Master Madan Award.
This year’s Vasantotsav was especially emotional, as it coincided with the birthday of Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji, who had been a beloved part of this event for years. In his honour, the festival was dedicated to his lasting musical legacy, and the inaugural Ustad Zakir Hussain Award was launched—an initiative designed to celebrate and inspire the finest musicians of the future.
The audience was enthralled by a soul-stirring performance from the renowned Hindustani Classical Vocalist, Smt. Kaushiki Chakraborty Ji, alongside her ensemble.
”Ajivasan Vasantotsav has always been more than just a celebration of music—it is a tribute to the timeless legacy of Acharya Jialal Vasant Ji and the rich traditions of Indian classical music. This year was especially emotional as we honoured the legendary Padma Shri Hridaynath Mangeshkar Ji and paid tribute to Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji, whose presence has always been integral to this festival. The launch of the Ustad Zakir Hussain Award is a beautiful initiative that will continue to inspire generations of musicians. It was an honour to be part of such a soulful and meaningful evening,” says Padma Shri Suresh Wadkar
