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Silver shehnai for Ustad Bismillah Khan
New
Delhi: Ustad Bismillah Khan will be gifted a silver
shehnai by Union Minister for Science and Technology
Kapil Sibal. The three-kilogram shehnai will be presented
to Bismillah Khan on the occasion of the 91st birthday
celebrations of the legendary shehnai maestro. Kapil
Sibal, who is expected to attend the birthday celebration
of Bharat Ratana Ustad Bismillah Khan at his Varanasi
residence on March 21, would also offer financial
assistance to the living legend of Indian classical
music. Assuring all support to protect musicians who
have brought pride and laurels to the nation Sibal
said, "Bismillah Khan was conferred all the four major
civilian awards by the Government of India including
Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat
Ratna . It is our (read People of India) responsibility
to take care of the legends." Speaking on the occasion
of release of a monograph brought out by Shrinath
Jha and Neena Jha on Bismillah Khan the Minister said
that he will request the government to come out with
a suitable package for protection of old-musicians,
academicians, scientists and others. The couple informed
the minister that besides, financial assistance to
Khan, they are determined to institute three scholarships
for promotion of talent in the field of Shehnai, a
magical and quintessential instrument in ancient classical
traditions of Indian culture without which no matrimonial
magic could be conceived at all. The monograph is
dedicated to all the newsmen, newspaper hawkers in
the country, and more importantly three senior scribes-
Sanjib Sinha, Ranjan Jha and Anju Sharma, former senior
correspondents of The Indian Express, Aaj Tak and
Hindustan Times respectively who died in an air-crash
with Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia in 2001. As
a matter of fact, the duo is also expected to present
a 91-kg cake and hand over a cheque of Rs. 1.5 lakh
to the living legend. Speaking of the grand pledge
to resuscitate the dying art forms ever since the
Shenai maestro has fallen out with official administration,
Mrs. Jha said "Ustadji hails from Bihar and so do
we. Till date, neither the Bihar government nor the
people of the state have organised any public felicitation
to pay their tribute to the living legend for his
contribution to Indian classical music. This is the
least we can do to highlight his work". It may be
mentioned that in January this year, the nonagenarian
musician has requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
to release all outstanding financial dues pending
"since 1961" so that he could take care of his needs
in his old age.
Meanwhile,
Varanasi the mystic destination on banks of holy Ganges
and muse for hundreds of thousands of visitors from
all over the world is awaiting its most famous date.
All the widest repertoire of Shenai genius- his cassettes
and CDs of Banarasi Thumari, Chaiti, Hori, Bhairavi,
Kajari, Tarana, Ghato and other ragas played once
upon a time at every famous and infamous nook and
corners of country and abroad in course of nine eventful
decades of his roller coaster life will be played
at each and every corner in the city Varanasi to mark
91st birthday of living legend. Ustad Bismillah Khan
was born on 21 March 1916. The ancestors of Bismillah
Khan were court musicians in the princely state of
Dumraon in Bihar and he was trained under his uncle,
the late Ali Bux 'Vilayatu' and Ahmed Hussain of Benaras.
Ali Bux was a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's
Vishwanath Temple. Bismillah Khan has retained the
magic of his shehnai ever since his maiden performance
at the age of 14 at an All-India Music Conference
in Allahabad in 1930. Ustad poured his heart out into
Raga Kafi from Red Fort on the eve of India's first
Republic Day ceremony. Bismillah Khan sees only a
divine unity between his music and his religion. Music,
sur, namaaz is the same thing for him. His namaaz
is the seven shuddh and five komal surs. A devout
Shia, he is also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the
Hindu goddess of music.
-
March 11, 2006
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