Ustad Bismillah Khan was the third classical musician after Pt
Ravi Shankar and Smt M S Subbulakshmi to be awarded Bharat
Rathna, the highest civilian honour in India.
The gentle genius of Bismillah Khan was perhaps single handedly
responsible for making Shehnai a famous classical instrument.
Traditionally used to play music during marriages, Shehnai is
the counterpart of south indian nadaswaram. It is also used to
play music in temples.
Simplicity was the way of life for Ustad,
It retains the old world charm of a Benaras life... his chief mode of
transport was a cycle-rikshaw, even after he became one of the
most respected musician !
The legendary shehani maestro, a man of tenderness, a man who
believed in remaining private and who believed that musicians
are supposed to be heard and not seen. Bismillah Khan was born
on March 21, 1916 at Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, in Dumraon as the
second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. He was named as
Qamaruddin to rhyme with Shamsuddin, their first son. His
grandfather, Rasool Baksh Khan uttered "Bismillah" after looking
at the newborn, thus he was named Bismillah Khan.
His ancestors were court musicians in the princely
state of Dumraon in Bihar and he was trained under his uncle,
the late Ali Bux `Vilayatu’, a shehnai player attached to
Varanasi’s Vishwanath Temple. He brought Shehnai to the center
stage of indian music with his concert in the calcutta All India
Music Conference in 1937. There was no looking back. It was Khan
Sahib who poured his heart out into Raga Kafi from Red Fort on
the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony.
Khan had the rare honor of performing at Delhi's Red Fort on the
eve of India's Independence in 1947. He also performed Raga Kafi
from the Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day
ceremony, on January 26, 1950. His recital had almost become a
cultural part of the Independence Day Celebrations telecast on
Doordarshan every year on August 15th. After the Prime
Minister's speech from Lal Qila (Red Fort) in Old Delhi,
Doordarshan would broadcast live performance by the shehnai
maestro. And this tradition had been going on since the days of
Pandit Nehru.
Where others see conflict and contradiction between his music
and his religion, Bismillah Khan had seen only a divine unity.
Music, sur, namaaz is the same thing. His namaaz was the seven shuddh and five komal surs. Even as a devout Shia, Khan Sahib
was
also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music.
His honorary doctorate from the Benares Hindu University and
Shantiniketan bespeaks of his fame. He was bequeathed with
the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award of the Madhya
Pradesh government and also the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.
On August 17, 2006, Khan was taken ill and admitted to the
Heritage Hospital, Varanasi for treatment. He died after four
days on August 21, 2006 due to a cardiac arrest. He was ninety
years old. He is survived by five sons, three daughters and a
large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Government of India declared one day of national mourning on
his death. His body was buried at Fatemain burial ground of old
Varanasi under a neem tree with 21-gun salute from Indian Army.
He played in Afghanistan, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Canada, West
Africa, USA, USSR, Japan, Hong Kong and almost every capital
city across the world.
BACK to Bhojpuria People
