Bhikhudan Gadhvi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1948-09-19)19 September 1948 (age 77) Gujarat, India |
| Occupations | Folk singer Song writer |
| Known for | Gujarati folk music |
| Spouse | Gajraba |
| Children | Three daughters (Anjana, Meena, Hiral) and one son (Bharat) |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Gujarat Gaurav Award Shri Dula Bhaya Kag Award |
| Signature | |
 | |
Bhikhudan Govindbhai Gadhvi (born 1948) is an Indian folk singer and songwriter, known as a proponent ofDayro, a narrative singing tradition of Gujarat.[1] He is a recipient of the Gujarat Gaurav Award of the Government of Gujarat and theSangeet Natak Akademi Award.[2] The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of thePadma Shri, in 2016, for his contributions to folk music.[3]
Bhikhudan Gadhvi was born on 19 September 1948 inKhijdad, a village inPorbandar district of the Indian state ofGujarat.[4][5] He started singing at the age of ten and after completing his secondary school education, he made his debut as a singer at the age of 20.[6] Reading the works ofJhaverchand Meghani andDula Bhaya Kag early in his life is reported to have inspiredGadhvi to take up song writing and he focused on Dayro tradition, a folk music tradition of Gujarat where the performer sings narrative stories. He has since performed in many countries such as the US, UK and Indonesia and has over 350 audio albums to credit which include popular tracks likeBhadanu Makan andKhandaninu Khamir.[6]
Gadhvi received theGujarat Gaurav Award of the Government of Gujarat[1] before theSangeet Natak Akademi awarded him theAkademi Puraskar in 2009.[2] The Government of India included him theRepublic Day honors list for the civilian honor of thePadma Shri in 2016.[3] He is also a recipient of theShri Dula Bhaya Kag Award in 2009.[6][7] He is married to Gajraba, and they have three daughters, Anjana, Meena, Hiral, and a son, Bharatbhai.[8] The family lives inJunagadh in Gujarat.[1]
