Dayawati Modi Award presented to Asha Bhosle

By Bindu Jacob

NEW DELHI, NOV. 17.

``Children are known by what their mothers' are. While a child carriers on the family name, which is his father's, it is the mother who models and shapes his life,'' said the noted singer, Ms. Asha Bhosle, today while accepting the Dayawati Modi award presented to her by the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, at a function here.

The singer became the second woman after Mother Teresa to be presented the award, instituted by Dayawati Modi Foundation for art, culture, education and for promoting Indian art. The award consists of a silver shield, scroll of honour and a cash prize of Rs. 2.51 lakhs.

``Since a mother is being remembered through this award and it is her contribution that is being acknowledged, the award is very dear to me,'' she continued. ``Children who learn to honour their mothers will always honour women -- be it their wives, daughters or friends -- which I believe is the first step towards building a strong society.'' The Dayawati Modi Award, constituted in 1994, has been earlier conferred on Amitabh Bachchan, Mother Teresa, Satish Gujral, Pandit Jasraj, Manjit Bawa and Jagjit Singh.

The winner of the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award, Asha Bhosle has to her credit two national awards from the Government of India, nine Filmfare awards, 14 Maharashtra State Government awards, the 1997 and 2001 MTV viewers choice awards, four Channel V awards, the Freddie Mercury award, the Sur Singar award and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement award. With more than 13,000 songs to her credit, she is also acclaimed as the most recorded artist in the world.

Claiming to be an ardent fan of Asha Bhosle, the Union Minister in his address said: ``It is amazing how Asha Bhosle has transformed into an universal phenomena and is counted among the treasure of the country. Her popularity can be gauged from the fact that after the fall of the Taliban regime, people in Afghanistan were spotted listening to her songs, perhaps that is just a glimpse of her popularity worldwide.''

The evening concluded with Asha Bhosle rendering a couplet from the Bhagvat Gita which holds out the promise of the return of the Lord to save mankind.

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