MUKESH SINGH at 17:22, 17 December 2025

2025-12-17T17:22:24Z

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{{Short description|Indian singer (?-2024)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox artist
| honorific_prefix = [[Padma Shri|PS]]
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] (2022) <br> Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2017)
| image = Ajita Srivastava in 2022.jpg
| birth_place = [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| caption = Srivastava in 2022
| known_for = [[Kajari|Kajari folk songs]]
}}

'''Ajita Srivastava''' was an Indian singer, educationist and social worker. Srivastava popularised and promoted [[Kajari]] folk songs, a form of folk music from [[Mirzapur]] and the surrounding region.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=मीरजापुर की कजरी गायिका अजिता श्रीवास्तव को पद्मश्री, संगीत नाटक अकादमी पुरस्कार से भी हो चुकी हैं सम्मानित |url=https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/india/up-uttarakhand/uttar-pradesh/padma-award-2022-mirzapur-kajri-singer-ajita-srivastava-awarded-padma-shri/1080823 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Zee News |language=hi}}</ref> She was awarded [[Padma Shri]] in 2022 by the [[Government of India]] for her contributions in the field of arts.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Padma Awardees 2022 |url=https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/padmaawardees2022.pdf |website=Padma Awards}}</ref> Srivastava died on 17 August 2024, aged 70.<ref name="x833">{{cite web | last=शुक्ला | first=अभिषेक | title=Ajita Srivastava Death: प्रसिद्ध कजरी गायिका पद्मश्री अजीता श्रीवास्तव का निधन, संगीत जगत में शोक की लहर | website=Navbharat Times | date=17 August 2024 | url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/uttar-pradesh/mirzapur/famous-kajri-singer-padmashree-ajita-srivastava-passed-away/articleshow/112594712.cms | language=hi | access-date=19 August 2025}}</ref>

== Life and education ==
Srivastava was born in [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]. She completed her ''Sangeet Prabhakar'' from Prayag Sangeet Samiti in Prayagraj, [[Bachelor of Education|B. Ed.]] from [[Gorakhpur University]] and [[Master of Arts|M. A.]] from [[Banaras Hindu University]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=पद्म पुरस्‍कार 2022 : मीरजापुर की कजरी गायिका अजीता श्रीवास्तव को पद्मश्री, 42 वर्षों की निरंतर साधना व तप के बाद मिली सफलता |url=https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/varanasi-city-padma-award-2022-ajita-srivastava-kajri-singer-of-mirzapur-got-padma-shri-after-42-years-of-continuous-meditation-and-penance-hpjagranspecial-22413389.html |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Dainik Jagran |language=hi}}</ref>

Srivastava married Rasbihari Lal, a poet, writer and lawyer from Mirzapur, and settled there. They had one child.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-27 |title=वाराणसी के 6 लोगों को मिला पदम पुरस्कार, मिर्ज़ापुर की अजीता श्रीवास्तव भी शामिल, जानिए इनके जीवन की कहानी |url=https://mirzapurofficial.in/state/6-people-of-varanasi-got-padma-award-ajita-srivastava-of-mi/cid6317896.htm |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=mirzapurofficial.in |language=hi}}</ref>

== Career ==
Srivastava started her professional career with [[All India Radio]] Varanasi in 1980. She was associated with and performed for various organisations including All India Radio, [[Lucknow]] [[Doordarshan]], Sangeet Natak Akademi Uttar Pradesh, [[Indian Council for Cultural Relations]], [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]], NCZCC Prayagraj, [[Ministry of Tourism (India)|Ministry of Tourism]], [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Ministry of Culture]], [[Government of Delhi]], [[Indian Army]] and [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]] among others.<ref name=":2" />

In 2017, she retired as a lecturer from the Arya Kanya Inter College after 40 years of teaching.<ref>{{Cite web |title=कजरी गायिका अजिता श्रीवास्तव को मिला पद्मश्री अवॉर्ड, 36 वर्षों से गायन के क्षेत्र में कर रही हैं काम |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/hindi/uttar-pradesh/state/mirzapur/ajita-srivastava-kajri-singer-of-mirzapur-got-padma-shri/up20220126091635335 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=ETV Bharat News |date=26 January 2022 }}</ref> Since then, she worked to preserve, promote and propagate Kajari and other folk music of the region on the national and international level.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ganga |first=A. B. P. |date=2022-01-26 |title=मिर्जापुर की प्रसिद्ध कजली गायिका अजीता श्रीवास्तव को मिला पद्म श्री अवार्ड, ऐसा रहा करियर |url=https://www.abplive.com/states/up-uk/up-news-famous-kajli-singer-ajita-srivastava-from-mirzapur-uttar-pradesh-received-padma-shri-award-ann-2047766 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=www.abplive.com |language=hi}}</ref>

== Awards ==
* 2022 – Padma Shri<ref name=":0" />
* 2021 – Vishwa Hindi Shodh Samvardhan Award
* 2021 – Kajali Kokila Award
* 2021 – Yogya Sikshaika evam Kajali Gayika Award
* 2021, 2010 – SAARC FOSWAL Award
* 2021, 2020, 2019 – Nari Shakti Puraskaar by [[Government of Uttar Pradesh]]
* 2020 – Kashi Anand Samman
* 2019 – Harit Uttar Pradesh, Swachch Uttar Pradesh Visisth Samman
* 2019 – Kajali Karyashala Mukhya Prashikshika Award
* 2017 – Namami Jagriti Samman
* 2017 – Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award<ref name=":1" />
* 2011 – Vaishya Gaurav Samman
* 2008 – Nari Shakti Samman by [[Amar Ujala]]
* 1996 – Kajali Samragyi Award

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKuTPtYDN7c सावन और कजरी] interview with [[DD Uttar Pradesh]] on YouTube (in Hindi)

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Srivastava, Ajita}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Indian women folk singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]

Ajita Srivastava - Revision history

MUKESH SINGH at 17:22, 17 December 2025