Renowned playback singer K.J. Yesudas turned 80 on Friday and marked the occasion by visiting the famed Kollur Mookambika Temple in Mangalore with his family, a tradition he has been following for several decades.
The singer, known for his classical, devotional and film songs, has been enthralling audiences for the last six decades, having rendered more than 80,000 songs in over 14 languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali and Odia as well as Arabic, English, Latin, and Russian. The singer has also been conferred the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards.
Heartfelt wishes are pouring in from fans and celebrities like reputed singers Chithra and Sujatha and political leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Modi posted on his social media handle, “On the special occasion of his 80th birthday, greetings to the versatile K. J. Yesudas Ji. His melodious music and soulful renditions have made him popular across all age groups. He has made valuable contributions to Indian culture. Wishing him a long and healthy life.”
