LUDHIANA/NEW YORK TIP): Padma Shri awardee Gurmat Sangeet legend Prof Kartar Singh (94) passed away in Ludhiana on January 2, 2022, according to a belated report.

Prof Kartar Singh won several prestigious honors for his contribution to Gurbani, which he had been practicing since the age of 13 and was specialized in the popular classical music form of ‘tanti saaz’. He was one of the few ‘Gurmat Sangeet’ legends, who pursued music teaching.

He was a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists, and the Tagore Ratna Award. He also won the Punjab government’s Shiromani Ragi Award and the Punjabi University’s Gurmat Sangeet Senior fellowship.

Kartar Singh was given the Sikh Lifetime Achievement Award in London in 2011 and nominated to the Top 100 Global Sikhs by the Sikh Directory in the United Kingdom. He wrote five books on Gurmat music, with a total of over 40,000 copies, published by the SGPC. Two of his books are under publication.

Born at Ghummanke village in Lahore on April 3, 1928, Kartar Singh completed graduation and post-graduation in music (vocal and instrumental) from Panjab University, Chandigarh.

On December 20, Ludhiana deputy commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma handed over the Padma Shri award to Kartar Singh at the Dayanand Medical College & Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana, as health issues had prevented him from attending the function in Delhi. Kartar Singh is survived by his daughters Manjit Kaur and Sukhbir Kaur, sons Amarjit Singh and Amritpal Singh, daughter-in law Amarjit Kaur, and grandchildren.The staff at The  Indian Panorama condole Major Ahluwalia’s demise and pray for eternal peace to the departed soul.