Google dedicates a Doodle to Begum Akhtar on her birth anniversary

Google marked the 103rd birth anniversary of "Mallika-e-Ghazal" Begum Akhtar on Saturday by dedicating a special doodle to her. Born as Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, the ghazal queen is seen in the doodle sitting gracefully with a sitar with a few admirers around her. She was born in 1914 in Faizabad in what is now Uttar Pradesh. Begum Akhtar's genre was, however, not ghazals alone, but also included splendid renderings of Hindustani classical music like Dadra and Thumri. Akhtar was honoured for her immense contribution to Indian music with the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan (posthumously). She was also given the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Among the few early female singers, Akhtar is considered to have broken away from the concept of singing in 'mehfils' or private gatherings and started performing at public concerts. Akhtar breathed her last on October 30, 1974.