Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916 - 2006)

One of India's greatest musical sons is no more. Ustad Bismillah Khan, the epitome of Shehnai in the country and the world over, passed away after suffering a heart attack in Varanasi. The Government of India has declared a day of national mourning in his honour, and he will be given a full state burial. In addition, the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have also declared a day long period of mourning.

The Ustad was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001, and had played the Shehnai at the Red Fort during the eve of India's independence on August 15th, 1947. With all my heart, I salute you sir. May you rest in peace and get the respect that you deserve in heaven that you did not get on earth.

While he was one of India's finest, like every other aging musician, he was overlooked by the state and lead a quiet, austere life in the backstreets of Banaras. If I remember correctly, he had spoken out against the government's and the society's indifference to Indian classical music more than once. Indian classical music just does not get as much respect as it did many decades ago. What is really unfortunate is that it has failed to enter the mainstream. The music directors in the golden age of Indian cinema regularly produced great songs that were based on the many raagas of Indian classical, but as time progressed, it gave way to synthesizers and loud noise. His death will leave a deep void in our musical history, and I hope there will rise many more musicians in his wake.

Bismillah Khan buried

Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, who died here due to cardiac arrest early today, was buried at Fatman Graveyard this evening with full State honours.

The jawans of the armed forces fired three rounds in the air before reversing their guns as a mark of respect to the 91-year-old Bharat Ratna awardee whose moral remains were laid to rest amid religious rituals as family members bid adieu to him with tearful eyes.

Earlier, Khan's body, wrapped in the tricolour, was put in a flower decorated CRPF truck at the Beniabagh park at 1730 hours before the funeral procession left for the final journey. The procession took about 90 minutes to arrive at the graveyard at 1900 hours.

More than 10,000 people, comprising the family members, relatives and well wishers of the nonagenarian Sehnai player, participated in the funeral procession after offering funeral namaz at the Beniabagh park where the body was kept for the people to pay their last respects.
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Music academy, award in memory of Bismillah Khan

The Uttar Pradesh government announced the setting up of a music academy and institution of an award in memory of shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, who died at Varanasi on Monday.

Making the announcement on the floor of the assembly, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said the award would carry a prize money of Rs 5 lakh. The academy will be built in the state capital at a cost of Rs 1 crore.
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Inna Lilah-e wa Inna alaih-e Raje-oon (Allah has sent us here and we all shall return to Thee).