Bismillah Khan, often referred to by the honorific title Ustad, was an Indian musician credited
with popularising the shehnai, a subcontinental wind instrument of the oboe class. While the
shehnai had long held importance as a folk instrument played primarily during traditional
ceremonies, Khan is credited with elevating its status and bringing it to the concert
stage. 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.
Early life Bismillah Khan was born on 21 March 1913 in
Dumraon, Bihar in northern India. He was the second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan.
His parents had initially named him Qamaruddin to rhyme with their first-born son Shamshuddin.
However, his grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan, the shehnai master of the court of Bhojpur,
exclaimed "Bismillah!" at the sight of him and thereafter he came to be known by this
name. His ancestors were court musicians and used
to play in Naqqar khana in the princely states of Bhojpur, now in Bihar. 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 Varanasi. He received his training under his uncle, the
late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple.
Bihar Government has proposed setting up of a museum, a town hall-cum-library and installation
of a life-size statue at his birthplce in Dumraon.
Religious beliefs Though a pious Shi'ite Muslim, he was also,
like many Indian musicians, regardless of religion, 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. He also performed for spiritual master
Prem Rawat. Career
Bismillah Khan was perhaps single-handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous
classical instrument. He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his
concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. He was credited with having almost
monopoly over the instrument as he and the shehnai are almost synonyms.
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. He was known to be so devoted to his art form that he referred to shehnai as his
begum after his wife died. On his death, as an honour, his shehnai was buried with him.
He was known for his vision of spreading peace and love through music.
Performances at Red Fort 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 26 January 1950.
His recital had become a cultural part of India's Independence Day celebrations, telecast
on Doordarshan every year on 15 August. After the prime minister's speech from Lal Qila
in Old Delhi, Doordarshan would broadcast a live performance by the shehnai maestro.
This tradition dated from the days of Pandit Nehru.
Popular culture Khan had a brief association with movies.
He played the shehnai for Rajkumar's role of Appanna in the Kannada movie Sanaadi Appanna.
He acted in Jalsaghar, a movie by Satyajit Ray and provided sound of shehnai in Goonj
Uthi Shehnai. Noted director Goutam Ghose directed Sange Meel Se Mulaqat, a documentary
about the life of Khan. In the 1967 film The Graduate, there is a poster advertising "Bismillah
Khan and the seven musicians" on a busy street of Berkeley, California.
Students
Khan seldom accepted students. He thought that if he would be able to share his knowledge
it wouldn't be useful as it would only give his students a little knowledge. Some of his
followers include S. Ballesh, as well as Khan's own sons, Nazim Hussain and Nayyar Hussain.
Personal life On 17 August 2006, Khan was taken ill and
admitted to the Heritage Hospital, Varanasi for treatment. He died after four days on
21 August 2006 due to a cardiac arrest. He is survived by five daughters, three sons
and a large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and his adopted daughter Dr Soma Ghosh
The Government of India declared a day of national mourning on his death. His body along
with a Shehnai was buried at Fatemain burial ground of old Varanasi under a neem tree with
21-gun salute from Indian Army. Legacy
Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, instituted the 'Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar' in
2007, in his honour. It is given to young artists in the field of music, theatre and
dance. Awards and recognitions
Awards Bharat Ratna
Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi. Talar Mausiquee from Republic of Iran.
Padma Vibhushan Padma Bhushan
Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Tansen Award by Govt. of Madhya Pradesh. Three medals in All India Music Conference,
Calcutta "Best Performer" in All India Music Conference,
Allahabad Recognitions
Bismillah Khan had honorary doctorates from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan Others include
Was invited by the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to play shehnai
on the first Independence Day in Delhi's Red Fort.
Participated in World Exposition in Montreal Participated in Cannes Art Festival
Participated in Osaka Trade Fair His 80th birthday was celebrated by World
Music Institute in New York Discography
Albums Sanaadi Appanna - Played shehnai for Rajkumar's
role in the movie. Goonj Uthi Shehnai - Provided shehnai
Maestro's Choice Megh Malhar, Vol. 4
Live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Live in London, Vol. 2
Contributing artist The Rough Guide to the Music of India and
Pakistan Biographies
Bismillah Khan: the shehnai maestro, by Neeraja Poddar. Rupa & Co., 2004. ISBN 81-291-0351-6.
Monograph on Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, by Amar jyoti, Shivnath Jha, Alok Jain, Anjali
Sinha. Pub. Neena Jha & Shivnath Jha, 2005. ISBN 8175256400.
Bismillah Khan and Benaras: the seat of shehnai, by Rita Ganguly. Siddhi Books, 1994.
Shahnai Vadak Ustad Bismillah Khan, by Murli Manohar Shrivastava. Prabhat Prakashan, 2009.
ISBN 9788173157356. Bismillah Khan: The Maestro from Benaras,
by Juhi Sinha. Niyogi Books, 2011. ISBN 978-81-89738-91-4. References
13. ^ Life history of Bismillah Khan, the Legend of Varanasi 14. Meeting a Milestone:
Ustad Bismillah Khan. A Documentary by Goutam Ghose, 1989
External links Times of India: National mourning for Ustad
Bismillah Khan http:www.thehindu.comtp-featuresclear-and-sparkling/article659558.ece
http:www.artists-india.comS-Ballesh http:www.thehindu.comfriday-reviewclear-and-sparkling/article6079.ece
http:www.indianstage.in/EventDetails.do?eventId=5566#.UtJ13NncbN0 Ustad Bismillah Khan at the Internet Movie
Database