A Tribute to Ust. Bismillah Khan - The Greatest Legend

Ustad Bismillah Khan passes away

HindustanTimes.com

New Delhi, August 21, 2006

Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan passed away due to a heart attack in Varanasi early morning on Monday. He was 91.

Khan, who was hospitalised and put on intravenous drip after a brief illness, breathed his last at 3.30 in the morning.

He had been admitted to the Heritage Hospital in the city on Thursday after his health reportedly started deteriorating following illness.

Born on March 21, 1916, Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001.

He was also honoured with the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award and the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.

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The legendary Indian shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib (born 21 March 1916) is the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), the highest civilian honour in India. The term "Ustad" or "Pandit" in relation to Indian classical music implies Master or Guru. Bismillah Khan is perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument.

His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar and he trained under his uncle, the late Ali Bux `Vilayatu’, a shehnai player attached to Benares's Vishwanath Temple. He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. It was Khan Sahib who poured his heart out into Raga Kafi from the Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony.

Khan has honorary doctorates from the Banaras Hindu University and Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. He has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award of the Madhya Pradesh government and also the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.

Despite his fame, Khan's lifestyle retains its old world Benares charm. His chief mode of transport is still the cycle rickshaw. A man of tenderness, he believes in remaining private, and that musicians are supposed to be heard and not seen. He is a pious Shia Muslim and also, like many Indian musicians regardless of creed, a devotee of Mother Saraswati.

Source - http://wikipedia.org

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Hazaron rang-e-mehfil mein teri shehnai ke bose naseeb hue they,
Jannat tujhe ada hui hai tu jannat ko nahin,
Teri rooh yahan goonj bankar reh gai hai. (Abhilash)

Rest in Peace Khan Saheb.

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My sincere condolences. He was a true Bharat Ratna. Unarguably the greatest of all the classical musicians in India living and dead. His musical knowledge was such that other greats would blush in front of him. His shehnai emnated such power that would be the envy of every single musician worldwide.

But looking at his condition and living circumstances in the past decade, death was, I think, better for him. He won't suffer anymore at the hand of our petty government and public which pays the same enumeration for Abhijeet Sawant and Pt. Jasraj.

Rest in peace, Khan Sahib. Entertain the celestials wherever you are. Our pithy world doesn't deserve your divine symphonies.

Kho gai khushboo hawa mein kuch na reh gaya....