The 13th edition of the Sur Jyotsna National Music Awards was held in New Delhi on Friday, where veteran Hindustani vocalists Sumitra Guha and Pandit Laxman Krishnarao Pandit were honoured for their contribution to Indian classical music.The awards, instituted in memory of Jyotsna Darda, founder of Lokmat Sakhi Manch, recognise excellence in Indian music and encourage emerging talent through selections from vocal and instrumental categories each year.The Delhi event opened and concluded with performances by singer Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa Live.The ceremony took place at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, where the awards were presented by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta. Union ministers Ramdas Athawale, Shripad Naik and S P Singh Baghel were among those present, along with former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Acharya Lokesh Muni, Sant Swami Abhishek Brahmachari, MPs Naveen Jindal, Kartikeya Sharma and Rajeev Shukla, and Punjab Kesari Group chairperson Kiran Chopra.Speaking at the event, Lokmat Media Group editorial board chairman and former Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda said, “Music brings you closer to another realm. When you connect your life with music, you attain a sense of eternal and spiritual peace. Our country’s classical music has a soul that takes us closer to God.” He also recalled Jyotsna Darda’s deep connection to music and said her vision inspired the creation of a platform to support young musicians.The awards this year were held across nine cities, including Nagpur, Yavatmal, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kolhapur, Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. According to Darda, the aim was to celebrate diverse musical traditions and reach wider audiences.