Manilal Nag
Pandit Manilal Nag (born 16 August 1939) 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 learned to play sitar from 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 performed many times in the National Programme of Music and Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan since 1954. He was invited to the  United States and European Countries through the I.C.C.R (Government of India) in 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. Manilal Nag's children and students include sixth-generation sitarist , who is also associated with the Bishnupur Gharana. 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. He was awarded the Padma Shri Award, the fourth highest civilian award in 2020.