# Anup Jalota
**Anup Jalota** (अनूप जलोटा; born 1953) is an Indian singer of bhajans and ghazals, known by the title "Bhajan Samrat" (Emperor of Bhajans) and honored with the [Padma Shri](https://www.edgepedia.org/padma-shri) in 2012[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/) • [2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota). Over a career of more than five decades he made devotional song a full concert art, carrying the Hindi bhajan from temples and religious gatherings to auditoriums in India and across the diaspora[2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota) • [3](https://kirtans.com/pioneers/anup-jalota).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953, Nainital, into a Punjabi Hindu family with a strong musical background[4](https://indianclassical.net/a/anup-jalota) |
| Training | Sham Chaurasia gharana; Bhatkhande Music Institute, Lucknow[2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota) |
| Signature songs | "Aisi Lagi Lagan," "Rang De Chunariya," "Chadariya Jhini Re Jhini," "Mai Nahin Makhan Khayo"[2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota) • [5](https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/anup-jalota-interview-why-he-hangs-out-with-genz-bhajan-clubbing-singing-at-asha-bhosle-funeral-10645240/) |
| Output (self-reported) | Over 2,000 bhajans, ghazals, and geets; more than 200 albums; over 5,000 live concerts in 300 cities on all five continents[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/) |
| Honors | Padma Shri (26 January 2012); Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2020)[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/) • [2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota) |
| Family | Son of bhajan singer Purshottam Das Jalota, his first teacher[6](https://dff.nic.in/images/Documents/39_63rdNfaArchives.pdf) |
## Early life and training
Jalota was born in Nainital in 1953. His father, Purshottam Das Jalota, was a renowned bhajan singer trained in [Hindustani classical music](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustani-classical-music) under Master Ratan of the Sham Chaurasi gharana, and the boy took his first music lessons from him[6](https://dff.nic.in/images/Documents/39_63rdNfaArchives.pdf) • [1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/). The father is credited with establishing bhajan singing as a concert-platform performance rather than something confined to temples and religious ceremonies, and he trained hundreds of students, the best known being his son[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/).
Anup Jalota belongs to the Sham Chaurasia gharana and was formally trained at the Bhatkhande Music Institute in Lucknow[2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota) • [4](https://indianclassical.net/a/anup-jalota). He made his debut as a vocalist at the age of seven, performing at his father's side as a boy[3](https://kirtans.com/pioneers/anup-jalota) • [5](https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/anup-jalota-interview-why-he-hangs-out-with-genz-bhajan-clubbing-singing-at-asha-bhosle-funeral-10645240/).
## Career
**All India Radio and the first break.** Jalota started his professional life as a chorus singer with [All India Radio](https://www.edgepedia.org/all-india-radio), gradually establishing himself as a solo performer[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/) • [4](https://indianclassical.net/a/anup-jalota). His first film singing break came in the 1977 film *Shirdi Ke Sai Baba*, where he sang two devotional solos, chanting "Sai Baba Bolo" in a song whose mellow portions were sung by Mohammad Rafi with Jani Babu, Asha Bhosle, and [Anuradha Paudwal](https://www.edgepedia.org/anuradha-paudwal)[7](https://scroll.in/article/803146/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta). Instant fame followed, but he was typecast as a bhajan singer; despite the bhajan-like overture he provided to [Lata Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/lata-mangeshkar) in "Solah Baras Ki Baali Umar Ko Salaam" from *Ek Duuje Ke Liye* (1981), he decided against a playback career and restricted his film singing[7](https://scroll.in/article/803146/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta). In a 2003 interview he put the choice plainly: "A playback singer is like a tiger in a cage because he has to sing to the tunes of another musician"[8](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/interview/story/20030825-a-bhajan-singer-is-like-a-tiger-in-the-jungle-anup-jalota-791970-2003-08-24).
**The bhajan as concert art.** During the late 1970s and the 1980s, Jalota became the signature voice of a fresh development: the bhajan presented as a complete concert form, drawing full houses in India and throughout the diaspora.[3](https://kirtans.com/pioneers/anup-jalota) His own account of the strategy: at about 25 he judged that bhajan singing was a difficult, limited-audience subject, and that if he could give it universal appeal he might create a newer, younger audience; he did so and succeeded quickly[9](https://www.kavitachhibber.com/2004/03/18/anup-jalota/). His recordings include the songs that became staples of the devotional canon, and his accompaniments typically use tabla, santoor, sarangi, sitar, violin, guitar, and dholak[4](https://indianclassical.net/a/anup-jalota). The AllMusic reviewer John Storm Roberts called him "the most popular of mainstream contemporary bhajan singers," noting that his singing lacks classical-style pyrotechnics but that his strong, mellow voice and the sinuousness of the melodies carry the lyrics[10](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-bhajans-mw0000890456).
**Ghazals and film work.** Alongside devotional song he built a substantial ghazal repertoire, covering poets such as Fayyaz Hashmi ("Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Karo") and Qateel Shifai ("Woh Dil Hi Kya")[7](https://scroll.in/article/803146/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta). He has also composed music for Hindi, Gujarati, and Bengali films and taken acting roles, including *Sampoorna Sant Darshanam* (1978) and *Tere Mere Phere* (2011), which he also produced[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/) • [7](https://scroll.in/article/803146/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta).
## Style and views on bhajan singing
A study of his interpretational approach by researchers at the [University of Calcutta](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-calcutta) records his view that no specific style is prescribed for bhajan singing; what matters is that the lyrics are delivered correctly, with proper pronunciation and meaning, which he summarized as "Baat Sahi Se Bola Hai"[11](https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/260/306/2496). In a 1991 All India Radio interview he emphasized practice (riyaz), learning, and karmayoga, and held that singers should set devotional poetry to music in a way that beautifies the poetry, keeping smoothness and sweetness in the voice[11](https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/260/306/2496).
He has been critical of pop-styled treatments, telling *Amar Ujala* in 2025 that a bhajan should be sung as a bhajan and not presented as pop, while allowing that a bhajan can be sung in any manner so long as its beauty and the purity of its words are not lost[12](https://www.amarujala.com/amp/lucknow/anup-jalota-interview-let-bhajans-remain-bhajans-don-t-make-them-pop-lucknow-is-settled-inside-me-2025-03-28) • [13](https://www.aajtak.in/literature/sahitya-aaj-tak/story/sahitya-aaj-tak-2024-lucknow-singer-anup-jalota-share-his-views-on-bhajan-rap-version-and-difference-between-cassettes-and-youtube-era-tmovf-1863811-2024-01-21). He has also argued that singers without classical training may sing bhajans provided they preserve that purity[13](https://www.aajtak.in/literature/sahitya-aaj-tak/story/sahitya-aaj-tak-2024-lucknow-singer-anup-jalota-share-his-views-on-bhajan-rap-version-and-difference-between-cassettes-and-youtube-era-tmovf-1863811-2024-01-21).
## Recognition and reach
The [Government of India](https://www.edgepedia.org/government-of-india) conferred the Padma Shri, its fourth-highest civilian award, on him on 26 January 2012[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/), and he received the [Sangeet Natak Akademi Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/sangeet-natak-akademi-award) in 2020[2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota). His other honors include felicitation by the British House of Commons with an Annual Globe Award (15 July 2010), the Sangeet Natak Academy Award of the [Uttar Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttar-pradesh) government, and the Rasheshwar Award of Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/).
His performing reach extends well beyond India. His official biography lists performances at the [Royal Albert Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-albert-hall), Wembley, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, the [Sydney Opera House](https://www.edgepedia.org/sydney-opera-house), and the [Esplanade](https://www.edgepedia.org/esplanade), and claims a record 100 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum discs[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/). Although a Punjabi from the Sham Chaurasia gharana, he sings in multiple languages; his own site gives the figure as eight, while the awards list on the same page says nine[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/). He leads Mission 500, an initiative to launch a new generation of devotional singers[2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota), and as a philanthropist held charity concerts and created a fund to support the families of Indian victims of the September 11 attacks in New York City[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/).
## Personal life
Jalota was married to the late Medha, a niece of former Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral; they have a son, Aryaman[1](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/). He has attended all the Ardh and Mahakumbh melas of the last 50 years and performed at the Kumbh sites of Haridwar, Ujjain, Nasik, and [Prayagraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/prayagraj); for the 2025 Mahakumbh he released two bhajans, *Mahakumbh Katha* and *Kumbh Aarti*[14](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/mahakumbh-2025-this-is-a-prasad-of-my-contribution-to-devotional-music-anup-jalota-101736685422894.html).
## Notes on the record
Sources agree on the birth year and place but differ on the exact date: most give 29 July 1953[4](https://indianclassical.net/a/anup-jalota) • [2](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota), while a Scroll profile gives 23 July 1953[7](https://scroll.in/article/803146/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta). The career statistics on his official site, including the counts of songs, concerts, and discs, are self-reported and have not been independently verified in the sources consulted.
## References
1. [Bio Anup Jalota, official website](https://anupjalota.com/about-anup-jalota/)
2. [Anup Jalota, Culture Atlas](https://cultureatlas.in/artist/anup-jalota)
3. [Anup Jalota, Kirtan Pioneer, Kirtans.com](https://kirtans.com/pioneers/anup-jalota)
4. [Anup Jalota, Indian Classical Network](https://indianclassical.net/a/anup-jalota)
5. [Anup Jalota on GenZ, bhajan clubbing, and singing at Asha Bhosle's funeral, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/anup-jalota-interview-why-he-hangs-out-with-genz-bhajan-clubbing-singing-at-asha-bhosle-funeral-10645240/)
6. [63rd National Film Awards Archives, Directorate of Film Festivals](https://dff.nic.in/images/Documents/39_63rdNfaArchives.pdf)
7. [Does bhajan king Anup Jalota pass the ghazal test?, Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/article/803146/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta)
8. [A bhajan singer is like a tiger in the jungle: Anup Jalota, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/interview/story/20030825-a-bhajan-singer-is-like-a-tiger-in-the-jungle-anup-jalota-791970-2003-08-24)
9. [Anup Jalota interview, KavitaChhibber.com](https://www.kavitachhibber.com/2004/03/18/anup-jalota/)
10. [Anup Jalota: The Best of Bhajans review, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-bhajans-mw0000890456)
11. [A Conceptual Study on Bhajan Interpretation Based on 'Bhajan Samrat' Padmashree Dr. Anup Jalota's Point of View, ShodhKosh](https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/260/306/2496)
12. [Anup Jalota interview: Let bhajans remain bhajans, don't make them pop, Amar Ujala](https://www.amarujala.com/amp/lucknow/anup-jalota-interview-let-bhajans-remain-bhajans-don-t-make-them-pop-lucknow-is-settled-inside-me-2025-03-28)
13. [Sahitya Aaj Tak 2024: Anup Jalota on bhajan rap versions, AajTak](https://www.aajtak.in/literature/sahitya-aaj-tak/story/sahitya-aaj-tak-2024-lucknow-singer-anup-jalota-share-his-views-on-bhajan-rap-version-and-difference-between-cassettes-and-youtube-era-tmovf-1863811-2024-01-21)
14. [Mahakumbh 2025: This is a prasad of my contribution to devotional music, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/mahakumbh-2025-this-is-a-prasad-of-my-contribution-to-devotional-music-anup-jalota-101736685422894.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › World, regional traditional, and non-Western popular musicians › South Asian classical, folk, and playback musicians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license