Visakhapatnam, June 22, 2013: As a part of the annual festival of music, dance and drama, the Visakha Music and Dance Academy will felicitate Kathak exponent Birju Maharaj.

The week-long festival, scheduled to begin on August 10, will see Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah honouring the Kathak maestro with the title Natya Vidya Bharati. The academy will give away Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh worth Swarna Kamalam at the felicitation. The annual festival will go on till August 16, according to VMDA trustee and secretary G.R.K. Prasad. Carnatic music exponent Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna, Hindustani exponent Pandit Jasraj, and Kuchipudi guru Vempati China Satyam were among the past recipients of the honour.