Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

End of an era

With the death of shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, an era in Indian music has come to an end. With virtually nobody to fill the void left by him, the soothing sound of his shehnai will be missed for years to come. So will be his heart-winning smile.

Brajesh Kumar,
New Delhi

Bismillah Khan will remain a legendary figure in Indian classical music. He took the shehnai to unprecedented heights. He performed to promote classical music among the youth in the Spic Macay concerts. He once told an audience in New Delhi: "Don't go into the issue of whether you are a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian. Listen to music and you all will be united."

Deepak K. Nair,
New Delhi

For Bismillah Khan, the two most important things in life were prayer and music. What is music, after all, but another form of prayer — sur ki ibadat — he maintained. He brought out the hidden magic of the wind instrument, which was played only during weddings. He never left his favourite place but gained international acclamation. His rendering of Shivranjani in vilambit was a treat. His death is a great loss to music, especially because there is no one to match his calibre.

P.G. Harikumar,
Karwar, Karnataka

A giant in shehnai vaadan, Bismillah Khan brought the humble instrument from marriage halls to concert halls. A delightful jugalbandhi I heard of the Ustad and Vilayat Khan on Doordarshan once left me spellbound.

V. Shrinivasan,
Bangalore

Despite being a renowned musician, Bismillah Khan lived a modest life. He used to travel only in cycle-rickshaws. The shehnai wizard will live on in the hearts of every music lover.

Srikanth Sriramula,
Karimanagar, A.P.

A firm believer in Allah and Baba Vishwanath, presiding deity of Benaras, Khan saheb symbolised a fusion of faiths. His creativity was singular, and his aesthetic nuances in melodic exploration were unrivalled. Titles and honours sat lightly on him, though he prized the Bharat Ratna.

N. Hariharan,
Coimbatore

The king of music in Bismillah Khan never surpassed the simple man in him. Asked after a world tour which city he liked the most, he replied without hesitation: "There is nothing in this world to match Benaras. Can you bring the Ganga and the ghats to the U.S.?" Is it any wonder then that the strains of the shehnai remind us of the Ustad and transport us to the ghats of Benaras? Bismillah Khan and Benaras will forever be spoken of in the same breath. The mystic city will no longer hear the strains of his shehnai, which awoke Lord Vishwanath every day.

Arjun Narayanan,
Thrissur, Kerala

Saint Tyagaraja says in one of his compositions that Lord Shiva is of the nature of naada, the divine music. The greatest shehnai maestro was extremely attached to Lord Vishwanath. He was truly a naada brahma upasaka.

C.S. Radhakrishnan,
Chennai

It needs a lot of courage and strength to be original, which Bismillah Khan was. The strength of his simplicity should serve as an example to all.

M. Peter Jeyaprakash,
Chennai

The Ustad's music was divine, soulful and touching. It transcended caste and religion, and barriers of boundary. It was a symbol of national integrity.

S. Sankaran,
Kumbakonam, T.N.

Shakespeare said: "If music be the food of love, play on" (Twelfth Night). Bismillah Khan's shehnai will play on to preserve harmony and universal brotherhood.

S. Venugopalan,
Chennai

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