8 Indian artists who became the Bharat Ratna

The Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian honor. Instituted in the year 1954, the award is a recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavor.

48 individuals have been conferred with the award till date. Out of these, 8 have received this honor for their exceptional work in the field of arts.

Before we jump on the list, lets check out some important information about the Bharat Ratna award.

The Process The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. No formal recommendations for this are necessary though several citizens keep recommending various individuals for the award. The number of awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.

What does the Awardee receive?

The Bharat Ratna awardee receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President of India and a medallion. The medallion is in the form of a Peepal leaf, about 5.8 cm long, 4.7 cm wide and 3.1 mm thick. It is made of toned bronze. On its obverse is embossed a replica of the sun, 1.6 cm in diameter, below which the words Bharat Ratna are embossed in Devanagari script. On the reverse are State emblem and the motto, also in Devanagari. The emblem, the sun and the rim are of platinum. The inscriptions are in burnished bronze.

This medallion is made by the India Government Mint in Kolkata. As of 2014, the total cost of one Bharat Ratna medal & miniature along with its box costs Rs. 2,57,732.

What about Monetary reward? Unlike other awards and contrary to popular perception, the Bharat Ratna Award does not carry any monetary grant.