'The stage is our temple': Ricky Kej goes barefoot to accept Padma Shri

Padmi Shri presented by President Droupadi Murmu honouring Ricky Kej Pic/PTI

Three-time Grammy Award-winning musician Dr. Ricky Kej was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of music. President Droupadi Murmu presented the honour at a ceremonial event held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Interestingly, he accepted the award barefoot. Watch the video below.

Ricky Kej accepts Padma Shri barefoot

Dressed in a traditional black outfit, Dr. Ricky Kej chose to receive the Padma Shri barefoot. Speaking to ANI, the awardee shared that the moment was sacred to him, "I felt a deep sense of responsibility, and the entire ceremony felt like a temple. It was this overwhelming feeling that moved me to walk barefoot while accepting the award."

He added, "The stage is our holy ground, our temple. That's why we often perform barefoot. I felt that same reverence at the ceremony." Honouring the deep-rooted belief shared by many artists, Dr. Kej upheld the tradition that the stage deserves utmost respect and reverence.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, and several Union Ministers, including Amit Shah, S. Jaishankar, Pralhad Joshi, Jitendra Singh, and G. Kishan Reddy, among other distinguished guests.

About Padma Awards

The Padma Awards are among India's highest civilian honours. They are presented in three categories, namely: Padma Vibhushan for exceptional and distinguished services, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The Padma Awards are announced annually on the occasion of Republic Day and are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

For the year 2025, the President approved a total of 130 Padma Awards, including one duo case (counted as a single award); 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards. Among the awardees, 23 are women, along with 10 individuals from the categories of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI.

On work front, Ricky Kej to team up with Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi to release Gandhi: Hymns of Compassion on World Music Day, June 21, 2025, celebrating Mahatma Gandhi's enduring legacy through heartfelt music.