Google celebrates Begum Akhtar's 103rd birth anniversary with special doodle

NEW DELHI: Search giant Google marked the 103rd birth anniversary of acclaimed singer

Akhtari Bai Faizabadi

, better known as

Begum Akhtar

, with a special Doodle on Saturday.

The bright, multi-hued doodle depicts the singer playing the sitar, as fans pay floral tributes and admire her art.

Born on October 7, 1914, in

Faizabad

, Begum Akhtar began singing at the age of fifteen despite opposition from her family. She went on to gain recognition in Ghazal, Dadra and Thumri genres of Indian classical music and was conferred the title of "Mallika-e-Ghazal".



She was the pioneer of poetry-through-ghazal and paved the way for many eminent artistes to follow, such as Jigar Moradabadi, Kaifi Azmi and Shakeel Badayuni.

She was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for vocal music and was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri.

The singer passed away on October 30, 1974, after a brief illness.