Imphal, May 19: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, will confer the Padma Awards for the year 2026 on May 25 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Monday.
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| Late Manipuri Nata Sankirtana Maestro Yumnam Jatra Singh. (Image: PIB) |
Among the 131 Padma awardees this year is late Shri Yumnam Jatra Singh of Manipur, who will be honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri for his immense contribution to Manipuri Nata Sankirtana, the traditional Vaishnavite dance and music form of Manipur.
The Government of India this year announced five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. Of the total awardees, 19 are women and 16 awards will be conferred posthumously.
Born on September 12, 1923, at Tendongyan Awang Leikai in Imphal West district, Shri Yumnam Jatra Singh began learning music at a very young age and went on to dedicate more than seven decades to preserving and promoting Manipuri Sankirtana traditions.
A distinguished exponent of Nata Sankirtana and visiting guru at the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA), he played a major role in training generations of artists and promoting the spiritual and cultural heritage of Manipur across India and abroad.
He earned Diplomas in Nat Eshei in 1976 and Nat Cholom in 1980 from JNMDA, reflecting his deep mastery over both devotional singing and rhythmic performance traditions.
Over his long artistic career beginning in 1949, Shri Jatra Singh performed extensively in Manipur and across the country. He participated in festivals organised by the Manipur Sahitya Parishad, Manipur State Kala Academy, Guru Gulapi Nat Sankirtan Academy, and performed in Tripura, West Bengal and Delhi. Internationally, he also represented Manipuri culture at the Barak Festival in Bangladesh in 1949.
His contributions were instrumental in UNESCO’s recognition of Manipuri Sankirtana as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013 and in the establishment of the Department of Sankirtan at the Manipur University of Culture.
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Shri Jatra Singh received numerous honours during his lifetime, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Amrit Award in 2023, the Manipur State Kala Akademi Award in 2013, and titles such as “Nata Bhushan” and “Nata Ratna” conferred by the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad.
He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Nata Eshei from Cultural Forum Manipur in 2016 and the Harinam Maha Mantra Award in 2019. He served as the ‘Eshei Hanba’ (chief performer) of the Shree Govindajee Naha Pala and was an approved artist of All India Radio.
Shri Yumnam Jatra Singh passed away on October 11, 2025, leaving behind a rich legacy in Manipuri classical and devotional traditions.
