Manilal Nag


Pandit Manilal Nag is an Indian classical sitar player and an exponent of the Bishnupur gharana of Bengal. He was given the Padma Shri Award, the fourth highest civilian award in India in 2020.

Training and career

Nag was born in Bankura and was taught to play sitar by his father, Gokul Nag. He made his first public appearance in the All India Music Conference of 1953, accompanied by Samta Prasad on tabla. He has been performing many times in the National Programme of Music and Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan since 1954.
He was invited to the United States and other European Countries through the I.C.C.R in the year 1973. In 1979 he was also invited to Australia by the Government Of India as a delegate for participation in the Indian Ocean Art Festival, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Government of Australia.
Nag was attached to the Instrumental Music Division of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy from 2005 to 2011.

Awards

He received the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award in 2001 and also the Senior Fellowship Award from India's Ministry of Culture in 2005 and an Honorary Gold Medal from the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, in 2008. The Government of West Bengal awarded him the Allauddin Puraskar in 2012 and the Banga Bibhushan in 2015, as well as the Sangeet Mahasamman Award. He has also received the ITC Sangeet Samman, Doverlane Sangeet Samman, Koser Award from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh, Sangeet Ratna Award from Mumbai, and Vitasta Award from New Delhi.

Discography