Background
Manilal was born in Bankura and was taught to play sitar at the age of 5 by his father, the late Sangeetcharya Shri Gokul Nag.
Manilal was born in Bankura and was taught to play sitar at the age of 5 by his father, the late Sangeetcharya Shri Gokul Nag.
He made his first public appearance in the All India Music Conference of 1953, accompanied by Pt Samta Prasad on tabla. Foreign the last six decades, he has been performing in "Akashvani " as well as "Doordarshan" and innumerable times in National Programme of Music & Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan since 1954. He was Invited to United States.A. and other European Countries through the I.C.C.R ( Government Of India) in the year 1973 to propagate the Gharana of Bengal.
In the same year he further visited United States.A. and Canada.
In 1979 he was also Invited to Australia by Government Of India as delegate for participation in Indian Ocean Art Festival, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Government of Australia.
He was the first Indian Musician to perform in the 50th Anniversary of Bath Music Festival, United Kingdom. in 1998
Manilal has trained 1000 students in his career and was attached to the Instrumental Music Division of International Trade Commission Sangeet Research Academy from 2005 to 2011. The Government of West Bengal awarded him the Allauddin Purashkar in 2012 for his lifetime contribution to Indian Classical Music.
Government of West Bengal has conferred on him their Highest Civilian Award, "Banga Bibhushan" in 2015.