The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released a set of eight Commemorative Postage Stamps on Indian Musicians at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (September 3, 2014).

The set of stamps brought out by the Department of Posts feature luminaries in the field of classical Indian music namely Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ms. D.K. Pattammal, Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur, Ms. Gangubai Hangal, Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Ustad Vilayat Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, the President stated that as we pay tribute to eight of the greatest music maestros of contemporary India, we celebrate their life and work and their matchless legacy. These eight maestros are, without a doubt, among the tallest luminaries in the history of world music. They have not only achieved personal perfection but have made extraordinary contributions, in their respective fields, to the development and evolution of the schools of music in which their talents were nurtured and honed. Their contribution and its enrichment of our cultural heritage cannot be quantified or estimated. It is infinite in its resonance and their names will be mentioned with great reverence. Their music will be cherished by the young and old, for many decades to come.

This release issued at 1315 hrs