Pokila Lekthepi from Assam has been conferred the Padma Shri Award 2026 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Karbi folk and modern music. With a career spanning over four decades, she has played a defining role in popularising Karbi musical traditions.
Pokhila Lekthepi honoured in Art, is a Karbi folk singer known as the ‘Queen of Melody’. Over five decades, she has composed more than 300 folk songs, popularising Karbi music across Assam and beyond.
