Who is Mizoram’s Esther Hnamte, and why is she trending?

Esther Hnamte became famous at the tender age of four. It was for singing a patriotic song, 'Maa Tujhe Salaam', which soon caught the attention of people online.

Viral news: 9-year-old Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte from Mizoram has come into the spotlight after receiving an honour from President Droupadi Murmu. The ceremony was held in Delhi on December 26, when Esther Hnamte received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 in the Art and Culture category. The young Hnamte caught everyone’s eye initially at the age of 4 as she sang AR Rahman’s ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’. The performances of Mizoram’s Esther soon started to circulate on social media, which garnered praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah.

Esther Hnamte receives the national honour

Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte from Mizoram received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 in Delhi. She received the award for the Art and Culture category. Apart from Hnamte, many children received the honour for different categories like bravery, social service, environment, sports, science and culture.

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How did Esther Hnamte become nationally popular?

Esther Hnamte became famous at the tender age of four. It was for singing a patriotic song, ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’, which soon caught the attention of people online. The music of Hnamte reached many public figures and senior leaders of the country.

Other awards received by Esther

Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte had received the special appreciation award from the Governor of Mizoram in 2020. She was later given the Young Achievers Award by Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited in 2021.