India celebrates 102nd birthday of shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan
New Delhi : The music world is celebrating the 102 birth anniversary of Ustad Bismillah Khan, today. As the title ‘Ustad’ suggest, he is known as the king of shehnai music and is responsible for popularising the kind of music all across the globe. To honour him, ‘ Google’ has come up with a doodle representing his sketch.
About Ustad Bismillah Khan
Ustad Bismillah was born in 1916 in Buxar Bihar District of British India. His family were court musicians who used to play in Naqqar Khana (an orchestra pit in Mughal period) in Bhojpur, Bihar. His father was a well-known shehnai player court musician in the Dumrao of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh. While he was born with the name Qamaruddin Khan his grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan gave him the name "Bismillah" and after that he came to be known by this name.
At the tender age of six years, he shifted to Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi and received his music training under his uncle, Ali Bux 'Vilayatu'. His uncle was also a famous shehnai player, emotionally involved to Vishwanath Temple.
He performed shehnai music at the Red Fort on India's Independence Day and also on the first Republic Day ceremony on January 26, 1950. Since then he became a part of Independence Day ceremony that was held every year. His outstanding performance is a must-to-telecast in national television immediately after the Prime Minister's address to the nation.
Besides, Bismillah Khan also received numerous invitations to perform outside India but he denied. However, in 1966, the ‘Usta of Shehnai accepted to perform at the Edinburgh festival on account that he should first be taken on an all-expense-paid trip to Mecca and Medina.
In addition to Bharat Ratna, he was awarded with Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi.
The Shehnai maestro continued to entertain the entire world until he took he died on August 21, 2006, at the age of 90. His last wish to perform at India Gate could not be fulfilled because of his illness which casued death.
