A product of Kerala Kalamandalam, 54-year-old Pauly started as a mridangam player and later became a Mohan veena exponent. Poly was among Grammy awardee Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s first students.

Kannan organised the unique ‘Veena Naadaanjali’ by 108 artistes ... Two talented youngsters Aswini Srinivasan and Akshay Ram played the mridangam, alternating and joining with impeccable ...

While the keyboard and guitar sell through the year, it is the violin, veena, flute and mridangam that are in demand during the season, adds Nikhil. “It is seen as a sign of Indian culture.

Recipients included 94-year-old Veena maestro R Vishweshwaran, mridangam legend Vidwan A Anand, Yakshagana icon Bannanje Suvarna, and garba maestro Atul Purohit among others.