New Delhi/Jammu: Santoor maestro Pandit Abhay Rustum Sopori, custodian of the Sopori–Sufiana Gharana of Kashmir, has been conferred with the Sangeet Ratna Award 2025 by the Kirana Gharana Ustad Ashique Ali Khan Art and Music Trust. The felicitation ceremony was held at the Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, in a gathering that celebrated India’s classical music heritage.
Pandit Sopori, often described as a cultural bridge between Jammu & Kashmir and the rest of India, was honoured for his outstanding contribution to Indian classical music, especially in preserving and promoting the ancient Santoor tradition, also known as the Shatatantri Veena. The Trust recognised his pioneering work in shaping cultural policy in Jammu and Kashmir, introducing music into mainstream academics, and mentoring generations of young musicians.
Expressing gratitude to the selection committee and Ustad Aslam Ali Khan, Pt. Sopori dedicated the honour to his late father and Guru, Pandit Bhajan Sopori, a saint-musician who had received the same award nearly two decades ago. “This recognition is not just personal—it belongs to the musical lineage and the spiritual tradition my father upheld,” he said.
Known for his deep-rooted Shaivite–Sufi approach, Pt. Sopori continues to be regarded as a torchbearer of India’s syncretic cultural ethos, using music as a means of unity and healing.
The event also saw the award being presented to other stalwarts of Indian classical music, including Pt. Rajendra Prasanna and Pt. Chetan Joshi (Flute), Ustad Akram Khan and Pt. Mithilesh Jha (Tabla), Ustad Saeed Zafar (Sitar), Ustad Asghar Hussain and Pt. Santosh Nahar (Violin), Pt. Vijay Shankar Mishra (Musicology), and Vidushi Uma Garg, among others.
Santoor Maestro Pt. Abhay Sopori honoured with Sangeet Ratna Award 2025 in New Delhi
