Bollywood actress and Bharatnatyam artiste Hema Malini and well-known vocalist Vidushi Girija Devi will be awarded the 'SaMaPa Vitasta Award 2006' at the Kamani Auditorium on November 11.

'SaMaPa Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Award 2006' will be awarded to Gulam Hassan Soofi for his contribution to Kashmiri folk music.

During the two-day music fiesta, prominent vocalists, including Pandit Rajan Sajan Mishra, Vidushi Girija Devi and Shrinivas Joshi, son of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi will perform at the concert.

Santoor exponents Abhay Rustum Sopori and Pandit Bhajan Sopori and Kathak artist Guru Shovna Narayan will also perform during the event.

Many young tabla artists including Hetal Mehta from Benaras, Akbar Lalit Khan from Delhi, Amit Verma from Lucknow, Athar Hussain from Ajarada, Ashish Devangan from Farrukhabad and Rajesh Malviya from Punjab will perform.

The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, B L Joshi, MP (Lok Sabha), Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant General (Retd.) Srinivas Kumar Sinha, PVSM will be the guests of honour at the event.

The event is being organised by the Sopori Academy of Music and Performing Arts (SaMaPa).

Established by Pandit Bhajan Sopori its vision is to be a world class centre of excellence in the teaching and propagation of Indian classical and traditional music and the performing arts.