Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan was born as Qamaruddin Khan
on 21st march, 1916 in a traditional Muslim family of musicians in Bhirung Raut
Ki Gali, Dumraon - in present-day Bihar. He was the second son of Paigambar
Baksh Khan and Mitthan. His grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan exclaimed
"Bismillah" at his birth and Qamaruddin Khan came to be known as
Bismillah Khan.
Born to a family of
musicians, he was trained by his uncle, the late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', who was
also a shehnai player and attached
to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple. His father was a court musician employed in
the Dumrao palace by the Raja of Bhojpur. His great grandfather Ustad Salar
Hussain Khan and grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan were also musicians in the Dumrao
palace.
One of the finest
musicians in the world, Ustad Bismillah Khan played to audiences across the
globe. Such was his devotion to his art and music that he referred to his shehnai as
"begum" after the death of his wife.
The maestro was awarded
India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001.
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