It’s a well-known fact that Srimathi M. S. Subbulakshmi, the late great Carnatic singer had strong ties to Sankara Nethralaya. It is also a well-known fact is that she was a soft-spoken ambassador for the good cause that Sankara Nethralaya stood for. In 1994, Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi was presented the Dinanth Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan award for her meritorious service in the Carnatic music field by Kumari Lata Mangeshkar at a function organized by Medical Research Foundation, Vision Research Foundation, and the Dinanth Smruti Pratishtan.
The Dinanth Smruti Pratishtan award was instituted by the Mumbai-based Dinanth Smruti Pratishtan to honour the memory of Marathi singer and actor, Deenanath Mangeshkar. It is awarded annually for excellence in literature, music, and theatre. Ms. Lata Mangeshkar, founder of the Dinanth Smruti Pratishtan and daughter of Late Deenanth Mangeshkar, presented Srimathi MS Amma, as she’s fondly called by her admirers, with a cheque and a memento, for her unforgettable contributions to Carnatic music genre.
Smt MS Amma, a humanitarian at heart, presented the cheque of the Dinanth Smruti Pratishtan Awardto Dr. S. S. Badrinath, Sankara Nethralaya’s founder. This selfless gesture inspired the nightingale of India, Ms Lata Mangehskar to personally donate Rs. 25000 in a generous spirit to save the vision of deserving patients.