CHENNAI, November 5: Hindustani musician Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has been chosen for the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award. The honour for the 86-year-old vocalist, who belongs to 'kirna' gharana, caps a distinguished career spanning over seven decades since he first performed at the age of 19.

This was after a gap of seven years that the government selected a performing artiste for the highest award. Shenai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan was the last to get this highest award.

"The President has been pleased to award the Bharat Ratna to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi,'' a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.

Born in Gadag district of Karnataka on February 19, 1922, Joshi has bagged several prestigious honours, including Padma Vibhushan in 1991, Padma Bhushan in 1985 and Padma Shri in 1972.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is the sixth person from the field of art and culture to get the Bharat Ratna award after Satyajit Ray, M S Subbulakshmi, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lata Mangeshkar and Ustad Bismillah Khan.He is the second vocalist to get the highest civilian award after Subbulakshmi in 1998.