Carnatic exponent PB Ponnammal passes away

Thiruvananthapuram, June 22 (IANS) Veteran carnatic exponent P.B.Ponnammal breathed her last at her house, here on Tuesday according to family sources. She was 96.In 2017, the country decorated her with the Padma Shri.She was a hugely respected figure in the state capital and had quite a few firsts to her credit.She was the first female student to enroll in the newly started Swathi Thirunal College of Music, here, during the early 1940s and passed out from there with first rank in "Gana Bushanam" and "Gana Praveena" courses.Then she became the first woman to join as a faculty at her alma mater. In 2006 etched another unique record when she sang at the Navaratri Mandapam, here, breaking a 300-year-old tradition which forbid women from performing at or attending the famed Navaratri Celebrations of the famed Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, here in Kerala.She is also the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Academy, Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram - both in 2009 among many others.Even at age 90 she used to sing and enthrall her listeners.
--IANS sg/in