NEW DELHI: Today the doodle of Google celebrated the 102nd birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna awardee and Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.
He was born in 1916 and hailed from a family of musicians. His ancestors were Royal musicians who would play in Naqqar Khana which is an orchestra pit in Mughal-era monuments of Bhojpur.It is the princely state of Bihar state. His father was a renowned shehnai player who is the regal performer in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon Estate, Bihar.
At the age of six, Khan moved to Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, where he got time-honoured formal training under his uncle, Ali Bux 'Vilayatu' who is a shehnai player associated to Vishwanath Temple.
India’s announcement of independence from Red Fort in 1947 and the formation of the Indian constitution in 1950 was heralded by Khan’s shehnai.
He performed at the Red Fort on India's first Independence Day and also on the first Republic Day ceremony on January 26, 1950.
Since then Khan’s shehnai was played for every Independence Day ceremony and his performance was shown on national television straight away after the Prime Minister's address to the nation.
Even today, Khan’s music is played during Republic Day celebrations. He was awardees of the Bharat Ratna in 2001, Padma Bhushan in 1968, Padma Vibhushan 1980 and the Padma Shri in 1961.
“Even if the world ends, the music will still survive… music has no caste,” is one of his most legendary quotes. He passed away on August 21, 2006.
