Chhandayan Jyotsna Award
for
Excellence in Contribution

Chhandayan feels honored to acknowledge the significant contribution of some extraordinary individuals and institutions toward the growth of Indian music in North America. Beginning in 2005, every year on the special occasion of the Chhandayan's Annual All-Night Concert we hand over the Chhandayan Jyotsna awards to these individuals and institutions in four categories - presentation, academia, publication and documentation. Without the relentless work of these people or organizations Indian music would not be where it is today in North America. They have contributed enormously towards the development, popularity and appreciation of this rich and old tradition and it is our hope that this public recognition will encourage others to follow in their footsteps to promote and preserve Indian music. Chhandayan’s Jyotsna Award laureates include:

Sishya (Disciple) 

2010     Paromita Das
2011     Tejas Tope
2012     Rohan Prabhudesai
2013     Ehren Hanson
2014     Shankhdeep Chakraborty (winner of Gaialight scholarship)
2015     Shiddharth Komaragiri (winner of Gaialight scholarship)

Guru (Master)

2010     Tripti Mukherjee
2011     Misha Masud
2012     Kinnar Seen
2013     Ramesh Misra
2014     Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik
2015     Anantha Krishnan


Documentation

2005     Ira Landgarten
2006     Rajan Devadasan  
2008     Jack Vertoogian
2010     Geeta Desai (Raga Unveiled)
2011     Sujan Rane

Academia 

2005     Robert Gottlieb
2005     Daniel Neuman
2007     Peter Manuel
2008     Allyn Miner
2009     George Ruckert
2012     David Courtney and Chandrakanta


Presentation

2005Balwant and Mrs. Dixit, PA
2006Harihar Rao, CA
2007World Music Institute, NY
2008Bhola Banerjee, MD
2009Namaskar Foundation, CT
2010Krishana Hegde (IAPA, NJ)
2012Pavan Allalghatta (IMSOM, MN)
2013Jasbir Mehta (ACA Central Florida)
2014Padmanabhan Kamath (Rochester, NY)

Publication

2005     India Archive Music
2006     Raga Records
2008     Moments Records
2009     Alam Madina Records