MartinDietrich8 at 12:07, 8 February 2026

2026-02-08T12:07:28Z

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{{short description|Indian singer}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Manik Varma (computer scientist)]], an Indian computer scientist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Manik Varma
| image = Manik Varma.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 16 May 1926
| birth_place =
| death_date = 10 November 1996 (aged 70)
| death_place =
| occupation = Singer
| yearsactive=
| othername =
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] (1974)<br/> [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] (1986)
}}
'''Manik Varma''' (16 May 1926 – 10 November 1996) was an [[Hindustani classical music|Indian classical]] singer from the [[Kirana gharana|Kirana]] and [[Agra gharana|Agra]] gharanas (singing styles).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-26/hubli/28372632_1_kirana-gharana-prabha-atre-kaivalyakumar-gurav|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104182515/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-26/hubli/28372632_1_kirana-gharana-prabha-atre-kaivalyakumar-gurav|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 November 2012|work=[[The Times of India]]|title=Torch-bearers of kirana and Agra gharana, and their followers|date=26 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="ex">{{cite news|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=156498|title=A tribute to legendary singer Manik Varma|date=10 November 2005|work=The Indian Express}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> She was honored with the Padma Shri Award in 1974 for her contribution to the field of music.

==Career==

Besides the pure classical [[khyal]], she also sang semi-classical and light music like [[thumri]], [[Marathi people|Marathi]] [[Natya Sangeet]], Bhavgeet and Bhakti geet (devotional music). She was a disciple of [[Hirabai Barodekar]] and [[Sureshbabu Mane]], daughter and son of [[Abdul Karim Khan]], the founder of the Kirana gharana.She also took her rigorous training in Thumri Gayaki from Pandit Bholanath Bhatt of ‘Bhatt Parampara’ in Prayag, Allahabad.
She took further training from Azmat Hussain Khan "Dilrang" and Jagannathbua Purohit "Gunidas" of Agra gharana.<ref>{{cite book|last= Manuel|first=Peter|title=Thumri in Historical and Stylistic Perspectives|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PlNShmx3x68C&pg=PA86|year=1989|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=81-208-0673-5|page=86}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Deshpande|first=Vaman Hari |title=Between two tanpuras|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-EkDt0Gboe8C&q=manik+varma&pg=PA114|year=1989|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=0-86132-226-6|page=151}}</ref>

In April 1955, her songs became part of the [[Geet Ramayan]], a presentation of songs on the Hindu god Rama, a weekly year-long programme by [[All India Radio]] (AIR), [[Pune]], along with artists like [[Lata Mangeshkar]], [[Yogini Joglekar]], Usha Atre, Babanrao Navdikar, Lalitabai Phadke and [[Sudhir Phadke]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=115249|title=Yesterday once more as Geet Ramayan turns 50|date=25 January 2005|work=The Indian Express}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

She trained students including [[Asha Khadilkar]] and Shaila Datar.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

==Personal life==
Her maiden name was Manik Dadarkar ([[Devanagari]]: माणिक दादरकर). Her daughters include Rani Varma, also a singer, Aruna Jayprakash, [[Bharati Achrekar]], an actor, and [[Vandana Gupte]], a Marathi stage, film and television actor.<ref name="ex"/><ref name="inex"/>

==Awards==
She received the prestigious [[Padma Shri]] award from the [[government of India]] in 1974,<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954–2009) |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2013 }}</ref> followed by the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] given by the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |title=SNA: List of Akademi Awardees |publisher=[[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] Official website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217185616/http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |archive-date=17 February 2012 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
In her memory ''Manik Varma Pratishthan'' was established in [[Mumbai]], which also presents Manik Ratna Award and scholarships. It also organises function on the birth and death anniversary of Manik Verma.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981107/31151634.html|title=Stars shine down|date=7 November 1998|work=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/local-news/archivefullstory.php?newsid=67369&creation_date=2003-11-06|title=Melodies for your soul: Music|date=6 November 2003|work=The Indian Express}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> On her eighth death anniversary, on 12 November 2004, a musical programme ''Baharla Parijaat Daari'' was presented by ''Devgandharva Bakhlebua Trust'' at Tilak Smarak Mandir in [[Pune]].<ref name="ex"/><ref
name="inex">{{cite news|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=157179|title=Remembering Manik Varma|date=15 November 2005|work=The Indian Express}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|heaX9ngnrYA|Manik Varma sings ''Ughada Nayana Dev''}}
* [http://www.geetmanjusha.com/marathi/singer/66.html List of Manik Varma songs]
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmKyQzug2FE

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varma, Manik}}
[[Category:Women Hindustani musicians]]
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:Singers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Marathi-language singers]]
[[Category:Indian women classical singers]]
[[Category:Marathi music]]
[[Category:Performers of Hindu music]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Thumri]]
[[Category:Kirana gharana]]
[[Category:Hindustani singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:Women musicians from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:20th-century Khyal singers]]

Manik Varma - Revision history

MartinDietrich8 at 12:07, 8 February 2026