Biography of Bismillah Khan in English | Ustad Bismillah Khan Biography | Motivational Story

Bismillah Khan

Biography of Bismillah Khan in English | Ustad Bismillah Khan Biography | Motivational Story

Ustad Bismillah Khan, the shehnai maestro was born in Dumraon, in Bihar on 21 March 1916 and died on 21 August, 2006. Pungi, a musical instrument, banned by Emperor Aurangzeb in his court because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound, was improvised by a barber. He improved the tonal quality of pungi by using a pipe with a hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi. He made seven holes on the pipe. When he played on it, by closing and opening of the holes, it produced a soft and melodious sound. It was named shehnai which was derived from 'nai meaning 'barber' and 'Sheh' because he played it in the Shah's chambers. Shehnai was a part of the 'naubat'. an ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts, Shehnai is played in temples and weddings because it is considered auspicious.

Biography of Bismillah Khan in English | Ustad Bismillah Khan Biography | Motivational Story

Bismillah Khan belonged to a family of musicians from Bihar. His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan, his father Paigambar Bux and other paternal ancestors were great shehnai players. As a child Bismillah Khan sang Bhojpuri Chaita's at the Bihariji temple, in Dumraon, just to get a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg, as an award. At the age of three his mother took him to his maternal uncle's house in Benaras. Bismillah would watch Ali Bux, his maternal uncle perform at the Vishnu temple, for hours. Seeing his passion for shehnai, Ali Bux started giving him lessons in

it. Bismillah would practise throughout the day, in solitude, at the temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya and on the banks of river Ganga. The flowing waters of river Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent new raagas, considered beyond the range of shehnai.

Biography of Bismillah Khan in English | Ustad Bismillah Khan Biography | Motivational Story

At the age of 14, he gave a recital at the Allahabad Music Conference. He got his first big break when he performed at the opening of the All India Radio, in Lucknow, in 1938. When India gained independence on 15 August 1947, he was also the first Indian to greet the nation with raag Kafi which flowed from his shehnai from the Red Fort. Bismillah Khan brought the instrument on the classical stage.Bismillah's first trip abroad was to Afghanistan, where King Zahir Shah, impressed with his art, gave him Persian carpets and other souvenirs as gifts. He also composed music for the film "Gunj Uthi Shehnai', its song 'Dil Ka Khilona hai toot gaya'and Vikram Srinivas's Kannada film "Sanadhi Apanna".

Biography of Bismillah Khan in English | Ustad Bismillah Khan Biography | Motivational Story

He loved Benaras and India. He said he missed Benaras and the holy Ganga when he was in a foreign country and the mattha of Dumraon when in Benaras. He refused an offer to start a shehnai school in America. Ustad Bismillah Khan's life is a perfect example of the rich, cultural heritage of India, one that effortlessly accepts that a devout Muslim like him can naturally play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.