Pokila Lekthepi Conferred The Prestigious Padma Shri Award 2026

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.