Dr. Arun Dravid is the senior-most disciple of the legendary vocalist, late Gaanasaraswati Padmavibhushan Kishori Amonkar, fondly called “Kishoritai”, by her disciples. Dr. Dravid (seen behind Kishoritai in this 1963 photo) instituted the Gaanasaraswati Puraskar in Kishoritai’s memory, immediately following her sudden and tragic demise on 3rd April, 2017.

The objective of this Puraskar is to pay homage to the memory of Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar, annually, by recognizing an eminent vocalist of Hindustani Classical music under the age of 51. It is hoped that this recognition will inspire the chosen artist to achieve greater heights in his or her musical career in future years. The artist so recognized can be from any Gharana of Hindustani Music, and the selection is based purely on artist’s merit. The Puraskar carries a purse of Rs. One lakh and an honorable citation.

The corpus for the Gaanasaraswati Puraskar has been donated to Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre (DMCC), Mumbai. DMCC also provides administrative and logistical support for the Puraskar.