Mumbai, June 24 (AHN) Veteran playback singer Alka Yagnik received the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award from President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

The singer did not appear to be in the best of health in her rare public appearance during the ceremony. Later on, Alka Yagnik even took to her official Instagram handle to open up about her health condition and the challenges it continues to pose to her.

Singer Shaan, who has collaborated with her for many iconic tracks, urged her to make a speedy recovery, followed by a comeback.

Shaan took to the comment section of Alka Yagnik's Instagram post, and shared, “Most Deserved Alka Ji !!! You are our Pride and Joy !!! And nothing would please your fans more than You finding your health and wellbeing back and Finding the Confidence and Motivation to Come back to Regale Us with Your Voice like only You can !! (sic)”

Meanwhile, sharing her health update, Alka Yagnik penned on her IG, “For the last two years, I have stayed away from the spotlight, from public appearances, and from sharing much of my journey. Many of you knew I am going through difficult health and through it all, your love, prayers, messages, and unwavering support have stayed with me every step of the way.”

Expressing her gratitude for the honour, the singer went on to write, “I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Government of India for conferring upon me this extraordinary honour. I accept it with immense humility and respect. Thank you for your warmth, your kindness, your prayers, and your faith in me over the years. I carry all of it with me."

For those who do not know, Alka Yagnik had revealed some time back that she has been diagnosed with "rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss' triggered by a viral attack.