Biography of Bismillah Khan

-by Ishita Mondal

–Reading Time – 7 min Approx

If you are fond of music, you must have heard of Ustad Bismillah Khan, the legendary Shehnai expert of Varanasi. It is said that Varanasi or Kashi is a city of old heritage. Many refer to it as the cultural capital of India. In this city of culture and heritage, Ustad Bismillah Khan was the person who took music to the next level. Due to his mastery of musical art, he is called “Ustad”, which means the Great Master.

Many questions come from his admirers and common people about his life and career. Some are interested in his childhood stories, while some are interested in his achievements. Some are only interested in the masterpiece tunes he created. Questions like “what was Bismillah Khan family background”, “who was the father of Bismillah Khan” also come. However, the contribution of Bismillah Khan was so significant that people never tired of learning about him.

The great musician was the master of Indian Classical music. His shehnai is still famous and played for many occasions. Whether it is the marriage ceremony or a festival, the rendering tune of shehnai never fails to mesmerize all. The captivating tune remains in the heart of the people who listen to it once. So blissful the music was.

So, it is evident Ustad Bismillah was famous for his own reasons. Why not learn some more interesting facts about him? Are you interested to know the interesting biography of Bismillah Khan? Here it goes.

Biography of Bismillah Khan – The Family and Details:

The great legend was born as Quamaruddin Khan in Dumrao, Bihar. It was under British-occupied India then. His family was a traditional Muslim family where music was a part of their lives. His father was a court musician under Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh. He was in charge of the Dumrao Estate in Bihar.

Often people ask about Bismillah Khan’s grandfather name. His grandfather was none other than the famous Ustad Rasool Bux Khan. He was also popular for his mastery of shehnai. Another notable ancestor of Bismillah khan was Ustad Salar Hussain Khan. The legendary musician influenced the family so much. Later, Bismillah followed their path.

At six years of age, he moved to Varanasi, where he gradually became famous for his music. In 1932 he got married. Bismillah khan throughout his life has been so humble that he never thought of teaching music to anybody. As per his ideology, he is never god enough to teach somebody. Such humbleness makes the Indians proud of their gifted talents. After achieving many milestones, the shehnai expert took his last breath on 21^st August 2006.

Let’s get into the details of his achievements.

Biography of Bismillah Khan – His Contributions and Recognitions:

Before going into the details of the awards, have a brief idea about his contributions. After all, his contributions brought him the honor. So, he worked in many films. He performed many solo and chorus performances on the stage and he was also famous for his albums.

Sannadi Apanna is an Indian musical film in the Kannada language where Ustad Bismillah Khan played shehnai. The people widely applauded it. Another film called “Goonj Uthi Shehnai” also has a beautiful musical touch. It was a 1959 movie that included his Sehnai tune for Rajendra Kumar’s role.

His talent was gifted and he polished it through dedication and practice. Thus, he took it to the next level. And therefore, he was honored with a plethora of awards and recognitions many a time.

Talking about his honorary recognitions, Bismillah Khan was a doctorate from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. Also, he achieved another doctorate from Viswa Bharati in Shantiniketan. He was invited by the first Prime Minister of free India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to play shehnai on Independence day at Red Fort. It was that notable day when India celebrated its first independence day after blood-shedding hardships for 200 long years.

Ustad Bismillah Khan also participated in Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade fair. He also participated in World Exposition in Montreal. On 21^st August of 2008 to commemorate his death anniversary, the Indian postal authority released a stamp worth Rs. 5. Also, on his 102^nd birthday, Google created a Google-doodle on him and honored him.

The Biography of Bismillah Khan – the Awards:

In 2001, Ustad Bismillah Khan was honored with the prestigious award of Bharat Ratna. Later, he received Sathi Sangeetha Puraskaram from the Government of Kerala. Also, the Government of Karnataka honored him with the T Choudayya National Awards. He was a notable fellow of Sangeet Natak Academy. The list does not end here. The republic of Iran also appreciated his talents and honored him with Tahar Mausique. The noteworthy award of Padma Bibhusan was given to him in the year 1980. Also, he received Padma Bhusan in 1968. Moreover, the great Padmashri award is also another feather of his crown. The State Government of Madhya Pradesh honored him with the Tansen award.

He took part in the All India Music Conference in Calcutta in 1937 and won three medals. His legacy is also maintained in popular culture. The renowned director Goutam Ghose released a documentary film on him in 1989 named “Sange Meel Se Mulaqat”. Previously the celebrated filmmaker Satyajit Ray used his Shehnai rendition in his movie “Jalsaghar”.

So thus, Ustad Bismillah Khan enriched Indian music to a great extent. In fact, he took it to a high stature which is hard to reach for anybody.

Now, as we have gone so far with the details of Ustad Bismillah Khan, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about him. We hope it will help you to learn how he contributed as a musical maestro and got honored for it. After it, we will get into some frequently asked questions about him.

Some Frequently Asked Questions about Ustad Bismillah Khan

What was the name of the father of Ustad Bismillah Khan?

His father was Paigambar Khan. He was also a great musician of his time.

• What is the name of Bismillah Khan’s mother?

She is Mitthan Khan, who was also deeply influenced by the traditional musical culture of the family. And gradually, that taste was inherited into her son Bismillah.

• Where did Bismilla Khan died?

The legend has lived with an honorary appearance that was because of his gifted talent. His rendition of shehnai mesmerized everybody and thus he developed a unique personality for himself. He was born in Bihar but the place where he got famous as a shehnai player was Varanasi. This is the city where he took his last breath.

• What did Bismillah Khan invent?

As we all know, Bismillah Khan is a notable Shehnai player who invented unique tunes with shehnai. It is a musical instrument that renders music with the breath put in it. The user inputs the air in it and develops a musical rendition through it. The great legend Bismillah Khan invented such unique ragas or tunes that the word “shehnai”, to a great extent became synonymous to him.

• Why Ustad Bismillah Khan is a legend?

Ustad Bismillah Khan is a notable Indian musician who is popularized the instrument shehnai. Previously, it was known as a mere instrument that emits music on playing. But, he came to the stage and literally changed the definition of it. He invented beautiful ragas while he also taught how to play them perfectly. For almost eight decades, he played the shehnai discovering every nook of it.

• How did Bismillah Khan bring shehnai to the international scene?

The great legend took up the responsibility of taking Indian music to the global stage with the unforgettable rendition of shehnai. He participated in different international platforms including the World Exposition, Cannes festival, Osaka Trade Fair and so on. He created a new aura with the rendition of shehnai.

• How did Bismillah Khan feel about Benares?

He was so attached to the city of Ganges. From the chirping of birds at the bank of the river to the tinkling sounds of the floating river, everything was prominent in his music. From the silent bliss of the ghats to the cacophony of the busy unsystematic crowds, all were so close to him. He not only loved the city but also embraced it with all of its essences.

• What did Bismillah Khan say about Benares?

The legend was so attached to the city that he never stopped to praise it. He said, “If anyone wants to meet me, they will have to come here. I will not go anywhere, whether it’s a raja, maharaja or anyone else”.

So, these are the notable questions that are often asked about the legends. Probably, you also had these questions in mind. We hope our answers have cleared your doubts.

Bismillah Khan and Some Unknown Facts:

We often come to know about the legends’ lives. We know about their families, career and personal lives. But most of the time we miss many details. However, here we are with some interesting facts about Ustad Bismillah Khan.

• He was lovingly called “Khansaab”.
• He was 90 years old when he died.
• As a little boy, he earned a big laddu of nearly 1.25 kg from Maharaja at Dumraon as an appraisal for his music.
• He used to play gill i-danda at an early age.
• In childhood, he used to sing Bhojpuri Thaita at Bihariji temple in Dumraon.
• He urged people to teach the children music as it is India’s cultural tradition.
• Bismillah stopped working for films because he was not fond of that glamour of the artificial world.
• Bismillah Khan traveled to the many parts of India along with different places outside India.
• His first trip outside India was in Afghanistan.
• King Zahir Shah gifted him a beautiful Persian carpet.
• He was called to the USA to open a Shehnai school but he was denied to go there. He was not ready to compromise with his love for India.
• Bismillah Khan was the first Indian musician to be invited to the renowned Lincoln Center Hall in the USA.

Final thoughts – The Music Flows:

So, it was all about the biography of Bismillah Khan. It will take years if we continue our discussions on the legend. Such powerful the personality is! Let’s end it here for today with the rendition of the soulful Shehnai.

-by Ishita Mondal

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