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Basanti Bisht

DOB : 1953
Gender : Female

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» Singer

Written By - Team Nettv4u

Dr. Basanti Bisht is an Indian folk singer from Uttarakhand. She was born in the year 1953 in Luwani Village, dewal block of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. Dr. Basanti Bisht is known as Lok Jaagar Gayika, and she was the first woman to sing the Jagar folk music of Uttarakhand, which was traditionally only performed by men. She got married to an artillery soldier at the age of 15 years. Dr. Basanti's daughter retired as a Captain, and her son is a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force.

Her singing career began much later in life when she learned music in Pracheen Kala Kendra in Jalandhar, Punjab. Dr. Basanti Bisht was one of the first three girls from her village to study till class 5th in her village school. She was also the first female student who topped the District Board Examination of class 5th and received a scholarship to continue her studies for three years. She began singing professionally in her 40s. She gave public performances in different genres like bhajan, folk, and film songs.

Dr. Basanti settled in Dehradun after her husband's retirement as a Naik from the Indian Army and got impaneled as a music artist in the All India Radio Station, Najibabad, in 1996. In the same year, she became the 1st Lady Pradhan of her village when she was elected by the villagers. Dr. Basanti is an A Grade artist of Akashwani and Doordarshan. She has been honored with the Padma Shri Award in 2017. She has also been honored with the Rashtriya Matoshri Ahilya Devi Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 2017, Teelu Rauteli Nari Shakti Samman by the Government of Uttarakhand, and First Ladies by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India in 2018.