Just days after winning the National Award, music maestro Illayaraja has been chosen to receive the 4th Akshaya Samman, a prestigious music award from Orissa, for his outstanding contribution to music.
Announcing the award, Vice-Chancellor of the Ravenshaw University, Devdas Chhotray, who was the head of the three-member selection committee, said the achievement of Illayaraja and his unique blend of Western and Indian classical music have made him the unanimous choice for the award.
With the award Illayaraja joins the legends Manna De, Gulzar and Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia who have received the award in the past years.
The award would be presented to the music maestro at a function to be held by the Akshaya Mohanty Foundation in Bhubaneshwar on October 12. This annual award consists of a citation and Rs. 1 lakh cash.
The Akshaya Samman Award was instituted in 2007 by the Akshaya Foundation in memory of renowned singer Akshyay Mohanty who was an iconic figure in the Oriya music world.