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Updated on : 22-08-2014 01:37 AM
Death anniversary of Ustad Bismillah Khan who is credited with popularising shehnai was observed on Thursday.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was not only a musician but an embodiment of the country's composite culture which made the government honour him with the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. The void caused by the death of this shehnai wizard on 21st August 2006 marked the end of an era in shehnai music. The maestro's melodious tunes were a household name throughout the country and brought happiness all around. Bharatan Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan Saheb became synonymous in the public imagination with the Shehnai he played so much that we remember him every time we hear the Shehnai. His father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon Estate, Bihar. At the age of six, he moved to Kashi. He received his training under his uncle, the late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple. Though a pious Shi'ite Muslim, he was also a devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of wisdom and arts, and often played at Hindu temples, including the famous Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, on the banks of the river Ganga. Khan is one of the finest musicians in post-independent Indian classical music and one of the best examples of Hindu-Muslim unity in India. He played the shehnai to audiences across the world. The seven decades of his eventful and artistic life were inseparably woven with the Shehnai and the marvel of his music was deeply rooted in our composite heritage and culture. It is no exaggeration to say that his music was divine, soothing nerves and having a balming effect on people who listen to that. The transformation of the Shehnai from a mere accompanying piece in concerts to a respected instrument owes a lot to the creative endeavours of Ustad Bismillah Khan Saheb. The legendary maestro transformed the shehnai from an instrument only used in marriage ceremonies to an honoured position in the classical pantheon. Besides Shehnai, he also mastered a variety of forms of classical music such as thumri, chaiti and kajri. Khan was a unique personification of India's composite culture. Bismillah Khan grew up without making distinctions between Ram and Rahim. His music has not only shaped up the Moharram processions, but also the celestial shine of the Balaji temple on the imposing riverfront of Kashi. Though generally no music is played during Muharram, the late Shehnai maestro used to observe it by playing the dirges of Nauha, a mourning music. He is easily one of those classical musicians who, through their highly appreciated and popular performances, substantially contributed towards creating a large audience for classical music. He was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001, becoming the Third classical musician after M. S. Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar to be accorded this distinction His music lives and endures beyond the boundaries of religion, caste, language and nation. His legacy which is an integral part of our composite culture will continue to inspire many many generations to come.
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