Background
Aruna Lama was born on September 9, 1945 at Ghoom Pahar, Darjeeling, British India to Surya Bahadur Lama and Sanmaya Lama.
Aruna Lama was born on September 9, 1945 at Ghoom Pahar, Darjeeling, British India to Surya Bahadur Lama and Sanmaya Lama.
She completed her graduate degree in arts from Darjeeling Government College.
She is popularly known as "Nightingale of the Hills". She sang hundreds of Nepali songs, including some for Nepali Film, and left an indelible mark as one of the best singers in Nepali music Her uncle C.B. Lama inspired her to sing from the age of 7.
Amber Gurung, one of the stalwarts of Nepali music, groomed her in singing from 1958.
Aruna Lama did her schooling at Mungpoo Primary School, Jalpahar, and Saint Teresa"s School, Darjeeling. In 1963, Aruna Lama married Saran Pradhan, another Nepali musician.
She worked hard to raise them, working as an assistant teacher in Saint Alphonsus School (1965) and finally found work at the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Welfare Office in Darjeeling where she worked till 1998. She continued to sing even with all her struggles till the end of her life.
Aruna Lama received numerous awards both in Nepal and India for her singing and contribution to Nepali music Some of these awards include Sangit Puraskar (1966), Sur Sringar Sammelan Puraskar (1966), Mitrasen Puraskar (Assam Nepali Sahitya /Sanskritik Parishad 1975), Dishari Puraskar (Kolkata 1980), Bhanu Academy Puraskar (Darjeeling 1982), Nepali Chalchitra Puraskar (for Maitighar 1983), Chinnlata Geet Puraskar (Kathmandu 1992), Urvashi Rang Puraskar (Kathmandu 1992), Mitrasen Sangeet Puraskar (Gangtok 1995), Gorkha Dakshina Bahu 4th (Kathmandu 1996), Sadhna Puraskar (Kathmandu), Nightingale of the Hills (Hindustan Recording Sangsthan, Kolkata), Swar Kinnari (Sitaram Sahitya Pratisthan, Kathmandu) and Swar Samagri (Arunanjali Programme, Kathmandu).