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Delhi remembers "man with a heart of gold"

Staff Reporter

Artistes pay their respects to shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan

NEW DELHI: Remembering Ustad Bismillah Khan who passed away in the early hours of Monday at Varanasi, artistes in the Capital organised a meeting at India Gate here in the evening to pay their respects to the shehnai maestro.

And while it remained his unfulfilled dream to play for "the entire country at India Gate", Ustad Bismillah Khan's shehnai resonated at the August Kranti Udyan near India Gate as admirers gathered to remember the purity of his music.

"You cannot forget the purity of Ustad Bismillah Khan's music and that is what will remain forever. It was his dream and desire to play at India Gate. Sadly, that remained an unfulfilled wish. It was Ustad Bismillah Khan who took the shehnai to the common man. Today we are here to pay respect to not just an artiste but also a wonderful human being whose simplicity and dedication to his art was as legendary as his talent," said veteran danseuse Sonal Mansingh.

Also present were well-known artists like Shovana Narayan, Pratibha Prahlad, Bharati Shivaji and Naresh Kapuria among others.

Speaking about Ustad Bismillah Khan's desire to play at India Gate, danseuse Shovana Narayan said: "Today his recording is being played at India Gate and we have gathered to remember an artiste who by his art has illuminated the field. He has ensured that the shehnai becomes an instrument that the world recognises. He will be missed."

Photographer Deepak Mudgal said: "I was a struggling photographer when I took some pictures of Ustad Bismillah Khan. He was happy with the results and spoke to me about my work despite being such a big name across the world. He even encouraged me to work harder and struggle to achieve what my heart wanted to do. He was a man with a heart of gold."

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