Shehnai King was a staunch devotee Goddess Saraswati
Bismillah Khan passed away. He was 91 and had won many awards. Shehnai is a saxophone like instrument and is played at North Indian marriages. In South the big and (somewhat) loud Nadaswaram is played in marriages and temple festivals.
Bismillah Khan has touched not only my soul, but also millions the world over. He made Shehnai a dignified and honoured instrument. All those in the Music Hindustani, Film, Carnatic or Western have already paid tributes to him. Once he made Lata Mangeshkar wonder when he played for her birthday, which she remembers so fondly.
The Thakurs of Nasik made Shehnai for the Maestro, Khan.
We Hindus believe Goddess Saraswati is giver of knowledge and Music. And Bismillah Khan was devoted to Goddess Saraswati. This goes to prove Music transcends everything – religion, nations and wealth. Bismillah Khan has played at Red Fort, on August 15th 1947, when got Independence.
Ustad Khan did not accept money when he played for funds collection to the school in which I studied at Bombay
Bismillah Khan was among the very few Indians who had the distinction of receiving all the national awards - Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna that he got in 2001.
Khan, who carried the honorific of an ‘ustad’ (guru), died an unhappy man as he felt that the government did not honour him sufficiently for his services to the arts.
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Chandramukhi said,
August 26, 2006 @ 5:57 pm
Usta and Guru have different meanings. Ustad means a Master in a field. Guru means one who can teach in that field.
Guru teaches. But his student can be a Ustad (more exoert in that field).