Malika Pukhraj

Pakistani singer

Malika Pukhraj (Punjabi, ) (1912 – 2004) was a highly popular Ghazal and folk singer of Pakistan. Others among her popular numbers in Urdu language were Lo phir basant aaii, Quli Qutub's Piya baaj piyala piya jaey na, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz's Mere qatil mere dildar mere paas raho.

Malika Pukhraj was born in Hamirpur Sidhar to a Singer family of professional musicians. She was given the name "Malika" at birth by Baba Roti Ram 'Majzoob', a spiritualist, in the Akhnoor area, and named Pukhraj (Yellow Sapphire) by her aunt who herself was a professional singer dancer. Malika Pukhraj received her traditional musical training from Ustad Ali Baksh Kasuri, the father of legendary singer Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

At the age of nine, she visited Jammu and performed at the coronation ceremony of Maharaja Hari Singh, who was so impressed by her voice that he appointed her as a court singer in his Durbar. She stayed there as a singer for another nine years. Her voice is most suitable for 'folk songs of the hills' (Pahari Songs). In 1980, she received the Pride of Performance Award from the President of Pakistan. In 1977, when All India Radio, for which she sang until the Partition in 1947, was celebrating its Golden Jubilee, she was invited to India and awarded with the 'Legend of Voice' award. Malika Pukhraj also recorded her memoirs in the novel Song Sung True.

Malika Pukhraj died in Lahore, Pakistan on 4 February 2004. Her funeral procession started from her residence at West Canal bank, and the ceremony was held in the house of her eldest son.