Ustad for all seasons, all religions and for all minds.

Copied from RK's page :
My friend’s father had the honour of meeting the Ustad. He shares his experience thus:

One morning in the late 1980s, I had the rare honour to meet the maestro in Mumbai. He shared his approach to music thus. “I do not know where the concert is, because, for me every dais in the world is the same, because my job is only to play the Shehnai.”

“Don’t think that the Surs (notes) are mere keys or points on instruments. Each Sur is a living entity. So, the first musical note Sa has its own home. Enter that home, stay there for a few years, understand it and then open a window of the house and look out. You will notice that the second note Re has its house just next door. Observe Re while still living inside Sa for a few years and then move out to stay in Re for a few years, closed doors. After you have assimilated Re’s essence, open windows on both sides of Re’s house. You will see that the third note Ga has built a house for itself just next to the house of the note Re. From Re’s home, relate to Sa on one side and Ga on the other side and so on.. Get into this dialogue, and drink in the elixir. My dear son, that’s music and it is surely not a mission to be completed in one birth.”

His Shehnai made us realise the divinity in music. A man of all religions, he was indeed a divine soul ,yet again incarnated in India to show us that beyond all religions there are subtle and sublime things in life which can bind us together. Though he was born as a muslim, his music was apt for all religous functions of all religions.He was the Kohinoor amongst musicians and his loss is beyond descriptions by words.He has returned back to his celestial world but his music will linger for ever in our hearts.


Yes, In deed, a great gem is lost today. Its lost to some place from where we can not recover it. Well.. friends, we are talking about Ustad Bismillah Khan. His demise is a great loss to the country in particular the Indian music. Any person who enjoys music should always be greatful to the Ustad. His music is apt for every mind, every season and on every occasion.

This is a small homage to a great saint of Shehnai. Hope his soul rests in peace!!