Mon Jan 20 20:18:34 IST 2025: ## Eminent Mridangam Exponent Awarded Prestigious Sangeethabhushan Award

**Vellinezhi, Kerala, January 20, 2025** – Renowned mridangam exponent Yella Venkateswara Rao was bestowed with this year’s Sangeethabhushan Award on Sunday evening. The award, established in honor of the late Vellinezhi Subramania Bhagavathar, was presented at a ceremony held at Olappamanna Mana in Vellinezhi. Subramania Bhagavathar’s son, P.S. Raman, presented the award to Rao.

The ceremony coincided with the 35th death anniversary of Subramania Bhagavathar, a prominent disciple of Carnatic music legend Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. Past recipients of the Sangeethabhushan Award include vocalist T.N. Seshagopalan, violinist Nedumangad Sivanandan, and mridangam maestro Vaikom Venugopal.

District Panchayat member Sreedharan Master presided over the function, which also included a commemoration of Subramania Bhagavathar by Carnatic musician Mannoor M.P. Rajakumaranunni, and a concluding Carnatic music concert by the Carnatica Brothers from Chennai.

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