Ravi Shankar was an Indian sitarist and composer. He became the world's best-known exponent of North Indian classical music in the late 20th century, and influenced many other composers around the world. Shankar was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, in 1999.

Shankar was born into a Bengali Brahmin family in India and as a dancer traveled India to Europe with his brother Uday Shankar's dance group. He gave up dancing in 1938 to study sitar playing under the court musician Allauddin Khan. After finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a composer, composed music for the Apu trilogy by Satyajit Ray, and was the music director of All India Radio, New Delhi from 1949 to 1956.

In 1956, Shankar began touring Europe and America and played Indian classical music, and grew his popularity in the 1960s with teaching, performing and violinist Yehudi Meinin and guitarist George Harrison of the Beatles. His influence on Harrison helped popularize the use of Indian instruments in Western pop music in the late 1960s. Shankar introduced western music by writing compositions for sitar and orchestra and toured the world in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1986 to 1992, he served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. He continued to perform until the end of his life.

Also Read:

Market Closing: Sensex, Nifty End flat Led By Metal, Pharma stocks

Dhoni's Helicopter shot chocolate to be sold in market, this company launched

Hardeep S Puri inaugurates Flyover cum Road Over Bridge at Narela