The President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, inaugurated the golden jubilee celebrations of Sangeet Natak Akademi on 28 January 2003 at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi. The inauguration was followed by a three-day festival in which leading musicians, dancers, and a playwright director - all Fellows of the Akademi - presented their performances.

At the inauguration, the Siri Fort Auditorium wore a festive look with festoons, banners and a display of photographs in the foyer offering a glimpse of the activities of Sangeet Natak Akademi since its formation on 28 January 1953.

The President was ushered in with Panchavadyam, featuring musicians from the International Centre for Kathakali, in Delhi. The stage came alive as thirteen distinguished Fellows of the Akademi took their seats to the accompaniment of Dhol and Mohuri (played by artistes and trainees associated with the Akademi's project supporting the Chhau dance tradition of eastern India).

The Fellow on the stage followed the President in lighting 50 ceremonial lamps on the stage. The auditorium resounded with the beat of the Pung Dhol of Manipur, the Nagaswaram of Tamil Nadu, and the Mizhavu of Kerala. A seven-piece women's Veena ensemble from Bangalore regaled the audience with Golden Showers, a special composition for the occasion.

The President felicitated the Fellows of the Akademi with a golden jubilee memento and a shawl: Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ebrahim Alkazi, Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, Komal Kothari, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Mrinalini Vikram Sarabhai, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, Badal Sircar, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Vijay Tendulkar and Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna. On behalf of all the Fellow, Pandit Ravi Shankar expressed his thanks to Sangeet Natak Akademi for its work.

Overwhelmed by the presence of the eminent artists on the stage, President Kalam said: " I listen to the work of these artistes almost every day. When I see this esteemed group of people before me I feel that I have orbited the sun 72 times but never in my 71 years have I ever felt so happy and honoured than here in the presence of such a galaxy of artistes."

He congratulated the Akademi for having lived up to the expectations with which it was formed 50 years ago. " I would like to request the great masters present here to sing the song of India, a song to unite minds and souls," Dr. Kalam Said.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Shri Jagmohan, and the Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Shri Vinod Khanna. The Chairman of the Akademi, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, in his address summed up the Akademi's growth over the last 50 years. "We can now look back and think of our objectives and keep up our efforts to preserve the country's culture," he said.

The felicitation ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by the Akademi's Vice-Chairman, Shri Shyamanand Jalan.