6th Sur Jyotsna National Music Awards given to actor-singer Arya Ambekar, percussionist Shikhar Naad

With an aim to promote music and upcoming artists, the 6th edition of Sur Jyotsna National Music Awards (SJNMA) was given to young Marathi actor-singer Aarya Ambekar and percussionist Shikhar Naad Qureshi here Friday. Organised by Lokmat media group in the memory of women's rights exponent Jyotsna Darda, the annual awards were judged by a jury of eminent people from the music industry like Roop Kumar Rathod, Sunali Rathod, and Shashi Vyas among others.

Aarya Ambekar, who is known for her Marathi songs, and Qureshi, grandson of legendary tabla player Alla Rakha, received the prize for their contribution to the field of music. Speaking at the ceremony, Union Minister Vijay Goel said that such awards don't just mean accolades, they also spell responsibilities for the winners.

"I have come here because I am very interested in music if I were not a politician I would have been hoping to receive this award. But, it's not an easy thing to be garlanded and applauded. "Once you receive an award, you also receive immense responsibility because a lot of other people are now looking up to you as their inspiration," Goel said.

The event was also attended by Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who said that music was an art form that is defined by itself. "Of all the different art forms, music is an art for art's sake, because there is no defined purpose of music, there is no set destination to music. It creates the environment, and it is defined by itself," Singhvi said. The evening also saw a performance by Sufi musical group Nizami Bandhu.