Celebrating a legend: India Post unveils special cover for Annapurna Devi

The event was attended by eminent classical musicians like Nityanand Haldipur, Basant Kabra, Sukriti Gupta, Director Postal Services, Kolkata Region.

This was a special commemoration on the birth centenary of the legendary Surbahar player Annapurna Devi.

International Women's Day is celebrated by paying tribute to Annapurna Devi

On the day after International Women's Day, the special tribute by the India Post to commemorate the birth centenary of Surbahar player Annapurna Devi in the city adds another dimension.

For the city's music lovers, the Annapurna Devi Foundation presented a three-day classical music festival on 6th, 7th and 8th March, 2026 at G.D. Birla Sabhagar.

Earlier, the organisation had organised Sarod, Violin and Sitar conferences. Classical music is an important celebration of our heritage.

This year, the music festival celebrated the birth centenary of Annapurna Devi. The programme took the audience on a mesmerising musical journey through the diverse genres of Indian classical music. Classical musicians representing different genres and styles of our country remembered Annapurna Devi through instrumental and vocal performances.

Each artist brings with them a unique style, a distinct flavour that enriches our musical heritage.

In a world where the spotlight often shines on the already famous, this organization is committed to bringing not only renowned maestros to the stage, but also lesser-known but equally exceptional talents.

These maestros, though perhaps not widely recognized, are unparalleled in their skill and their craftsmanship.

Who was Annapurna Devi?

Daughter of Baba Alauddin Khan, sister of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, she was a Maihar Gharana artist.

Her notable students include Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ashish Khan, Dakshina Mohan Tagore, Basant Kabra, Sudhir Phadke, Nityanand Haldipur, among others. Although born into a Muslim family, she was known to all by the name "Annapurna" given to her by Maharaja Brijnath Singh of Maihar State.

Conference filled with soulful melody

On the first day, Pandit Milind Raikar (violin), Vidushi Subhra Guha (vocals), on the second day, Pandit Shantanu Bhattacharyya (vocals), Pandit Basant Kabra (sarod), on the third day Pandit Rajendra Prasanna and Ritesh Prasanna (flute), Vidushi Ashwini Bhide Deshpande (vocals) - filled the conference with soulful melody.

And on March 9, 2026, the "Special Cover" was released by the India Post on the birth centenary of Annapurna Devi, in the presence of distinguished guests at GPO, Kolkata. This special honour by the India Post just a day after International Women's Day, added another dimension to this centenary celebration.

On behalf of the organisation, Nityanand Haldipur said, "This honour by the India Post has added a new dimension to this initiative."