He may no be present among us but his contributions to Indian music will live on forever.
Bharat Ratna recipient Ustad Bismillah Khan was born March 21, 1916.
The 92-year-old shehnai legend was brought in an ambulance from his Harha Sarai residence to the private hospital in Lanka area of the city, sources said.
The Ustad will, however, remain under observation for some days.
S M Krishna has also given an aid of Rs 200,000 to the shehnai maestro.
Ustad Bismillah Khan loved to sing bhajans for children.
From music to politics. The family of late shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan has been dragged into the political battleground after Bismillah's grandson was approached to become a proposer for Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Narendra Modi when he files his nomination for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on April 24.
The Shehnai maestro has said he will perform free of cost.
The PM called him one of the greatest exponents of Indian culture.
A pious Shia Muslim who lived almost all his life in the holy Hindu city of Varanasi, he came to symbolise Hindu-Muslim unity in India, said The Times.
Weeping men, women and children of all religions and age came by to say their last goodbye to the shehnai wizard.
Bismillah Khan was the chief patron of the Banaras Sporting Club for the last 10 years.
Bismillah Khan, whose 'last wish' to perform at the India Gate remained unfulfilled, single-handedly pioneered the conversion of Shehnai, a mundane ceremonial instrument, into one capable of expressing a range of human emotions.
The sarod maestro launched his book, Master On Masters.
Tell us which famous personality you will miss the most.
Instrumental music played by maestros like Ustad Bismillah Khan, TN Rajaratnam Pillai and Pandit Pannalal Ghosh will keep passengers entertained in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains which have a public announcement system in place.
The award, which was announced after a gap of seven years, was presented to 87-year-old Joshi by an Additional Secretary of the Home Ministry.
The BJP has vehemently criticized the Karnataka government's decision to provide four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts, labeling it an "unconstitutional misadventure." The party has pledged to challenge the move in court and has vowed to oppose it at all levels. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress party has defended the reservation, arguing that it aligns with constitutional provisions. The issue has led to heated exchanges in the Karnataka Assembly, with both parties accusing each other of engaging in appeasement politics.
Eminent Shehnai exponent Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain Khan, one of the best-known players of the instrument after the legendary Bismillah Khan, passed away in Kolkata following prolonged illness. He was 77.
The award, which carries a citation and cash amount of Rs 10 lakh, is given for promoting communal harmony and peace.
Eight years ago, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain had narrated how his father Alla Rakha had welcomed him into this world by putting the musical instrument's rhythms into his ears when asked to recite prayers.
'When India opened its doors to the world, moving away from an agrarian to a market economy, everything, whether life or love, was commodified.'
Educationist Madan Mohan Malviya and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee are the 44th and 45th distinguished personalities who have been conferred with the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna.
'To match his passion for his craft is impossible.' 'I don't know of any Kathak dancer who can equal his passion.'
'Mulk questions the very principle, of good-Muslim exceptionalism.' 'That, of course, we adore Abdul Hamid, A P J Abdul Kalam and Bismillah Khan and if only more Muslims were like them.' 'Anubhav Sinha sticks his neck out to say that these are no exceptions.' 'Most Muslims are like them. It is the terrorists who are exceptions,' says Shekhar Gupta.
Singing the national anthem and watching patriotic movies on Doordarshan.
The latest Bollywood updates.
Exquisitely shot, with shadows and light capturing the hypnotic mood of the film, Jalsaghar is a viewing treat you owe yourself.
'Every religion is sacred and beautiful. There's no reason for people to hate each other because they practise different faiths.'
'It's amazing how many different kinds of patriotic songs we have in our country.'
A controversy has erupted over the decision to discontinue postage stamps of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi with the government saying only one family can not get this honour, even as the Congress termed the move as "insult to the history" and demanded an apology.
Religion is but one trait where intolerance manifests itself. We come across 'chosen' races, communities, political ideologies, economic systems, all lending themselves to discriminatory arrangements, which trample the rights of those considered beyond the pale of whatever is the favoured calling.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances