Apropos of the obituary ‘Sonorous voice, gentle persona that made ghazal accessible to all’, with the death of renowned ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, the world of music has lost an iconic artiste par excellence, who will be remembered for his melodious voice and nuanced understanding of ghazal poetry, which resonated deeply with millions of music lovers in India and abroad.

Today, the maestro is no more. But his evergreen hits, like ‘Chitthi aayee hai’ and ‘Na kajre ki dhaar’, that made him a household name, will stay with his fans forever.

(ii) A Tribute to Ghazal Maestro Pankaj Udhas:

Year 2024 has been a full of tragedies, Many notable people from various walks of life passed away like Eminent advocate Fali Nariman, Revered Jain monk Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj, famous Indian Classical Musician Rashid khan, Iconic Radio announcer Amin Sayani known, for Binaca Geetmala, and now maestro Pankaj Udhas has left for eternity whose name synonymous with soulful ghazals, they all through their supreme achievements, have played significant roles in shaping India's legal, spiritualistic and artistic landscape.

In the death of renowned Gazal singer Pankaj Udhas, the world of music has lost an iconic artiste par excellence, known for his soulful ghazals melodious voice, coupled with his nuanced understanding of ghazal poetry, which resonated deeply with listeners and gave joy and pleasure to millions of music lovers in India and abroad.

Today when maestro is no more, who mesmerized people across the country through his soulful songs like "Chitthi Aai Hai", Naa kajaare ki dhar, Aye ghame zindgi Kuch to de mashwara", "Thodi Thodi Piya Karo", "Chandi Jaisa Rang hai tera Sone jaise bal", "Jeeye Toh Jeeye Kaise, Ghungroo toot gaye" and others come to our mind, which had become hugely popular, making him a household name and a leading figure in ghazal music.

Maestro's legendary career spanned for four decades, he was conferred with many prestigious awards and honours, those including country's fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri (1975), in recognizing his contribution in popularizing music,

His departure has left a huge void for entire generation of music lovers in this Sub-continent and beyond to mourn this loss that can never be filled for long time to come, he has left behind the unforgettable legacy of soulful and timeless melodies of ghazals that will continue to resonate deeply with the audience for generations to come, he was indeed institution for no parallel ever again.

RIP Pankaj Udhas.

In the death of renowned Gazal singer Pankaj Udhas, the world of music has lost an iconic artiste par excellence (“State funeral for late ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas in India”, Gulf News, February 27). He was known for his soulful ghazals and melodious voice, coupled with his nuanced understanding of ghazal poetry. His music resonated deeply with listeners and gave joy and pleasure to millions of music lovers in India and Abroad.

Today, when he is no more, I remember his soulful songs. The maestro’s legendary career spanned four decades, and he was conferred with many prestigious awards and honours, including the country’s fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 1975, recognising his contribution to popularising the ghazal form of music. His death has left a huge void for an entire generation of music lovers in the Indian sub-continent and beyond, to mourn this loss that can never be filled for a long time to come.

He has left behind the unforgettable legacy of soulful and timeless melodies of ghazals that will continue to resonate deeply with the audience for generations to come. He was indeed an institution with no parallel ever again. Rest in Peace, Pankaj Udhas.

Ramesh G jethwani is a Veteran writer, Voracious reader, Historian and commentator who has been writing in 21 newspapers in India and GCC countries for several decades on various subjects of importance.
His website www: rameshjethwani.com.

2020 has been a year full of tragedies and turmoil so far. Many notable people passed away from various walks of life - Irfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput, Basu Chatterjee, Chuni Goswami, Balbir Singh, Chetan Chauhan and now Maestro Pandit Jasraj has left for eternity (“Indian music maestro Pandit Jasraj dies”, Gulf News, August 17). Passing away of Indian classical music maestro Pandit Jasraj is another sad news for the music lovers. He belonged to Mewati Gharana and was one of India's most exceptional music vocalists of the era. In Hindustani music of India, Gharana is a community of performers who share a distinctive musical style that traces to a particular instructor or region. His demise leaves a deep void in the cultural sphere and in the world of Indian classical music. His renditions were not only outstanding, who presented the illustrative Mewati Gharana to the global music connoisseur, but he also made a mark for himself as a mentor to many noted vocalists.

The legendary vocalist had infused life into the most complex ragas of classical music and always mesmerised the audience spellbound with his unique style of craft. Pandit Jasraj was distinguished among Indian classical music and most globally known Indian vocalist, his music had inspired many and had a profound impact on the history of Indian classical music.

Music maestro, whose career spanned for more than 80 years, was conferred with many prestigious awards and honours, and those include Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan(1990) and Padma Vibhushan(2000), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award(1987), Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship (2010) and Bharat Ratna Bhim Sen Joshi Classical Music Life Achievement Award(2013).

His contribution to Indian classical music will be remembered forever.

(ii) Great loss(Pandit Jasraj)
The Telegraph,21st Aug,2020,L.E

Sir - The demise of the maestro, Pandit Jasraj, will be mourned by followers of Indian classical music everywhere (“Pandit Jasraj passes away in New Jersey”, Aug 18). He belonged to the Mewati gharana and was widely regarded as one of India's greatest vocalists. He infused life into the most complex ragas and mesmerized the audience with his unique style. Jasraj also made a mark for himself as a mentor to many noted vocalists.

He received several honours over a career spanning 80 years, including the Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

His loss will leave a deep void in the cultural sphere.

(iii) "An Era Ends" with "Pandit Jasraj's Demise" Or "Pandit Jasraj" An illustrative doyen of Indian Classical Music".

Sir, Year 2020 has been an extraordinary year full of tragedies and turmoil for entertainment, sports and in general, many notable people passed away from various walks of life of the nation, Irfan Khan, Rishi kapoor, saroj Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput, Basu Chatterjee, Chuni Goswami, Balbir Singh, Chetan Chauhan and now Maestro Pandit Jasraj has left for eternity.

Death of Indian classical music maestro Pandit Jasraj, one of the most illustrative doyens of the Mewati Gharana, is another sad news for the nation, he belonged to Mewati gharana and was one of the India's greatest music vocalists,his demise leaves a deep void in the cultural sphere and in the world of Indian classical music,he was doyen of the Indian classical music known for unique voice and which had both depth and softness.

He was the last of the five pillars of Hindustani Classical vocalist that comprised Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur, an excellent vocalist in the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, An Exponent of Kirana Gharana, Kishori Amonkar, An exponent of jaipur Gharana, Kumar Gandharva who refused to be bound by the tradition of any gharana and last was maestro Pandit Jasraj, a great exponent of the Mewati Gharana and Institution himself in the Indian classical Music.

Pandit Jasraj was the son-in-law of great bollywood Film director V Shantaram, having married his daughter Madhura, his daughter Durga Jasraj is also in her right a legendary artist, an Actress and Vocalist, who appears on TV

Maestro's renditions were always outstanding, who presented the illustrative Mewati gharana to the global music connoisseurs, Pandit Jasraj made a mark for himself as a mentor to several noted Vocalists who made a name for themselves in Indian classical music including cultural historian late Mukund Nath, his other renowned students Saptarishi, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Flautist Shashank Subramanyam, Bollywood Singer Anuradha Paudwal and Sadhna sargam and many others.

His legendary words themselves speak about his devotion to the god through music "Main sangeet ko bhagwaan hi manta hu, bhagwaan ke sabse kareeb manta hun".

Legendary vocalist had infused life into the most complex ragas of Classical music and his voice had mesmerised the audience spellbound with his unique style of craft, in fact attending the live concert of great maestro was a life giving experience.

Pandit Jasraj was a giant among Indian classical musicians and most globally known Indian vocalist, his music had inspired many with his masterly voice and incomparable voice, he had deeply impacted the history of Indian classical music, he was a true Ambassador of India's rich tradition of classical music.

Music Maestro, whose musical career spanned for more than 80 years, was conferred with many prestigious awards and honours, those include Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan(1990) and Padma Vibhushan(2000), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award(1987), Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship (2010) and Bharat Ratna Bhim Sen Joshi classical Music life achievement Award(2013).

Pandit Jasraj is the most deserving person for the Country's highest civilian award "Bharat Ratna",and he should be given this coveted award in the next Republic.

Pandit Jasraj Ji was the Tansen of this Era.His rich Legacy is, his immense contribution towards Indian classical music, which must be nurtured.

Audio to illustrative son of nation,

The demise of the singing maestro Vani Jayaram one of the greatest playback singers of India, is tragic and heartbreaking ('Popular Indian cinema and classical singer Vani Jayaram dies", Gulf News, February 4). She was one of the most prominent playback singers, whose magical voice charmed millions of audiences for five decades in over a dozen languages. She had lent her voice to over 10,000 songs in over 19 languages including Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. There are hundreds of superhit songs of Jayaram, and it isn't easy to pick one as her best.

Still, one of her most popular Hindi songs was 'Bole re papihara' from the movie, Guddi, which was released in 1971, giving her instant recognition in the industry. Jayaram was also a trained Hindustani and Carnatic vocalist who, besides film songs, had also recorded thousands of devotional songs and performed concerts across the world regularly. For her outstanding contribution, she earned several national awards and Honours, including the prestigious Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civilian honour in 2023, multiple National Film Awards and various state government awards. Jayaram has left behind a rich legacy of unique voices and songs. She will be remembered by the Indian diaspora, who unitedly mourn her death and pay homage to the immortal singing maestro.

Sir - The demise of the Kathak maestro, Pandit Birju Maharaj, marks the end of a glorious era in Indian performing arts. During his decades-long illustrious career, Birju Maharaj had garnered several accolades, including the Padma Vibhushan, and had nurtured generations of young dancers.

His contributions to Kathak are unparalleled.

Sir, Tragic New of passing away of country's renowned folk dancer Haresh Kumar in road accident in Rajsthan is a great loss to entire country, he was also popularly known as Queen Harish, He mastered the drag art-form and was famous for performing dressed up as woman,his rendition of Rajasthan folk dance forms including like Ghoomar, Kalbelis, Terha Thali and Chang Bhawaiand others, gained him world-wide recognition. he had great ability to connect with the audience, and with his superb performance, he will win the heart of spectators with the great confidence and with mesmerizing performance.

He even and taught these dances in Japan.

When such legendary artists departs, folk art has definitely been orphaned, Government of Rajasthan should encourage other such artists, as there are plenty of promising folk artists there in desert district of Jaiselmer and surrounding,

he will always be remembered for his path breaking performances, It is our bounden duty to preserve folk art culture for our future generations, His life will surely be inspiration to the new generation of Folk Artists and following his humble path would be greatest tribute to Queen Haresh"

Sir, As we are celebrating the birth centenary of Legendary classical carnatic music singer Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (1916-2016), popularly known as M.S, embodiment of music and perhaps the most charismatic artists of our times, who held the centrestage of the music arena for more than 60 years in our country, there wouldn't be a better way to remember this great artist than through her music, Music was her life, she would begin her recital in the morning with her eyes closed, She was more than a gifted classical singer, who was acknowledged as the leading exponent of classical and semiclassical songs in the carnatic tradition of South India, Some of her immortalsed songs were "Vaishnava janato", "Gandhi Bhajan", "Annamacharya Kirtanas" and many more.

M.S.Subbulakshmi, who started her career by singing in temples and eventually became one of the best known artist of all times, She had a magnificent voice, who enthralled the audience all over the world with her masterly performance of classical and semi classical songs, her performance always touched the heart of audience, She was the extraordinary young woman who entered the world of Carnatic music, dominated by the male genre of Carnatic music, where old values still persisted, but Subbulakshmi still with all these resistances made a great niche for herself with her superb performance, her great legacy still endures till this day.

Subbulakshmi popularly and affectionately known as M.S, was a multi faceted personality, a simple human being, who had a great ability to connect with the audience and strike a rapport with people of different cultural background, her devotion songs were marvelous,which used to mesmerize the listeners ,Subbulakshmi was synonymous to carnatic music,whose critics and peers will always vouch that few could or can sing like Subbulakshmi with such a clarity and unwavering voice, this brought her on the top of her contemporaries, she was a god gifted singer.

It was a great honour in M.S Subbulakshmi's life, when she was invited to render in a concert before United Nations general assembly (UNGA) in 1966 in the presence of international dignitaries, many of them could't understand the language, still they were were spellbound and were mesmerized over her recitation of soulful Carnatic music,

She was the recipient of several national, international awards and citations, such as, Raman Magsaysay award(1974) for her public service through music, she was first ever musician to receive this great honour which is often considered as Asia's Nobel prize), she was also the first ever woman to be awarded the "Sangeet Kalanidhi "by the Madras Music Academy, also she was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademy award(1956), Kalidas Samman in 1998 and Indira Gandhi award for the national Integration (1990).

The great moment came in her life, when she was conferred with "Bharat Ratna award" India's highest civilian award by then President of India K.R Narayanan, which she received at her residence at Chennai In 1998, she was first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award,

In this Era of popular music, popularity of Indian classical music is waning, but her contribution for the Carnatic Music will surely continue to inspire other performers of Indian classical music for generations to come and her legacy would not be forgotten, Her contribution for the carnatic music will be written in golden words in annals of the history of Indian classical music,

Subbulakshmi left us for eternal world on Dec 11,2004 leaving behind a rich legacy of Carnatic music that is both popular and profound,which will continue to eternally reign the waves for time to come,she will always be remembered as one of the India's most gifted proponent of carnatic music,in fact The Carnatic music has been orphaned.

Vice President Venkata Naidu has rightly said that, It is our bounden duty to preserve culture for the next generation.

Bharat Ratna M.S Subbulakshmi's great grand daughters ,S Aishwarya and S Saundarya ,met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19th Sep, 2017 and briefly performed the "Maithreem Bhajatha" -a benediction which was rendered by Subbulakshmi herself in Oct 1966 at the United Nations and it was sung by her in most of her subsequent concerts after UN concerts,

It has been an extraordinary year full of tragedies and turmoil for the entertainment and sports in the country. It has been an horrible year for the country in the arena of entertainment, arts, sports, and music. People like MF Hussain, Gazal king Jajit singh, Nwab of Pataudi, Bhimsen Joshi, Gagubai Hangal, Bhupen Hazarika, Indira Goswami, Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand, cartoonist Marioa Mirnda have bid adieu to the world.

Sir, Union governmnet's decision to award Bharat Ratna to legendary hindustani vocalist Pandit Bhimsen joshi is not only great honour to him but to entire hindustani classical musicians.

Pandit Joshi was a disciple of Rambhau Kundolgakar also known as sawai Gandharwa.his rendition of "MILE SUR MERA TUMHARA "along with other singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Balamuralikrishna had won the heart of millions of Indians. He is the Jewel of the Indian classical world

News of demise of renowned Indian Classical Music stalwart,Ustad Imrat Khan,in US,brings to an end to an era of Indian classical music (Ustad Imrat Khan dies in US, DC, Nov, 24th). he was one of India's greatest exponent of Sitar and Surbahar and had dedicated his entire life to propagating it.
But maestro will be greatly remembered for promoting his art internationally, last year he had turned down the Padma Shri saying recognition has come too late and diminished his achievements.

Yet another doyen has left us. The passing away of renowned ghazal king Mehdi Hassan at a hospital in Karachi is not only a great loss to the world of ghazals in Pakistan and India but to the entire Subcontinent. His death has left huge void in the world of music.

In the recent past, we have lost several eminent legends of performing arts and music like Bhupen Hazarika, Jagjit Singh, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal and now Mehdi Hassan.

The legendary singer, who was born into a family of traditional musicians at Luna village in Rajasthan in 1927, had recently lost his voice due to his illness.

It was he and the late Jagjit Singh who infused new life into the dying genre of ghazals in the seventies.

Mehdi Hassan will remain a popular ghazal singer in the entire Indian sub-continent. It is only fair to say that his death is an irreparable loss to the world of ghazals. Indeed an era has come to an end.

Sir - Yet another music maestro bid farewell to the world. The passing away of Mehdi Hassan is a great loss. His death has left a void in the world of music.

Only recently, the legendary ghazal singer, Jagjit Singh, left us. Now Hassan is gone too. In the recent past, music has lost many other legends like Bhupen Hazarika, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal.

Hassan had enthralled the audience with his celebrated ghazals like “Ab ke hum bichhde”, “Patta patta boota boota”, and “Mohabbat karne wale kam na honge”. Hassan, with jagjit Singh, had infused new life into the dying genre in the 1970s. He performed live shows in various countries, during which he connected with his audience through his soulful voice. Hassan’s popularity was not restricted only to India and Pakistan, but extended beyond the subcontinent. His fans included expatriates in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

He was not only a classical gharana-trained singer, but almost a gharana in himself.

He was bestowed with the title of Shahenshah-e-Ghazal (king of ghazal) for revolutionizing the art form.

Hassan’s death is an irreparable loss, and marks the end of an era in ghazals.

Sir, Curtain has fallen on world of Gazals with demise of legendary king of Gazals Jagjit Singh, this is not only a great loss to the world of Gazals in India but in entire subcontinent, He gave joy and pleasure to millions of music lovers in India and abroad. he was blessed with golden voice.

He was one of the best Known Gazal singer of his time not only in India but in entire subcontinent and had followings in India, Pakistan, Gulf and Saudi Arabia and even in London and Newyork where his live Gazal shows had full capacity Audience. he has left behind a huge legacy of work in a career spanning five decades, including 80 albums.

He was recipient of 3rd highest civilian award the Padma Bhushan. In 2007 he had an opportunity to Perform at India's Parliament Building to mark 150 years of since country's first war of Independence against British rule "British Mutiny"

The Ghazal maestro enthralled the audience with some of his well-known Gazals and was often called the 'Ghazal King' by his fans and peers who Stirred millions of hearts with his soulful Gazals 'Jhuki jhuki si nazar', Yev daulat be le lo", "Mera geet amar Kar do" and 'Kaagaz ki kashti' He had infused a new life in the dying Genre of Gazals world in the seventies and carved a niche for himself in Bollywood.

He was credited with introducing modern instruments along with traditional Sarangi and tabla in Ghazals. He always mesmerized the audience with his singing soulful Gazals as he had pain and melancholy in his voice that gave vent to the feelings of many a lonely hearts.

It will be fair to say that his death is a irreparable loss to world of Music especially Gazals and indeed an Era has come to an End.

Bhupinder Singh the legendary Gazal singer of all time, whose mellifluous voice had enthralled of millions of music lover for decades, as such unique voice has not been heard from other any famous playback singers of the time or will ever be heard after him

The Legendary voice loved by generations of music lovers fell silent with the death of the famous Gazal singer Bhupinder Singh due to the Covid-19 related complications, it is a huge loss to world of Music, he was a highly popular not only in India but in Pakistan and GCC countries his mellifluous voice had enthralled the hearts of millions over five over decade, he was known for some of most memorable ghazals with unique voice like "Do Dewane, Shehar mein (Gharaonda), Hoke Majboor Mujhe Bulaya hai" (Haqeeqat), Ek Akela is sahara mein (Gharaonda), Naam gum jayega (Kinara), Karoge yaad to har baat (Bazar) and many more.

Recently many musical maestro's have departed forever, and now Bhupnidr singh death, which marks the end of an era of these illustrative great singer, Musicians.

His Hollywood singing debut had started with the famous Director Chetan Anand film Haqeeqat with the song "Hoke Majboor Mujhe usne Bulaya hoga" (Haqeeqat), composed by Madan Mohan

Bhupinder Singh, in his long and distinguished career spanning over five decades, he had worked with some of the biggest names of the music industry like R D Burman, Bappy Lehri, Lata Mangeshkar and Mohmmed Rafi.

Bhupinder Singh's forte was his near-perfection combination of poetry and melody with sluggish voice, which was not heard from other famous playback singers during is glorious period of 60's and 80's, but what made him apart him from others all time great singers of that era was his unique mellifluous voice, he broke new ground in the world of ghazals both as a vocalist and composer that made him a multi talented musical legend. His songs were class apart from others famous singers, which carried a ubiquitous sameness in them loneliness, quest for company and peace.

His Gazals were not only popular in India but beyond in Pakistan and in Gulf countries and wherever there was large diaspora in Western countries, his songs were so popular in 80's that even a Paan shops, Rickshaw puller, Taxi drivers with transistor on, would listen his Songs. his famous gazal like "Kabhi Kisi ko Muammal Jahan Jahi Milta", which articulates a sense of wonder and loss of migrants in big cities, his songs were classic and different rom other prominent Gazals singers it had loneliness, quest for company and peace.

Apart from playback singing, he was also the guitarist on several popular tracks, who had infused life into the songs like ‘Dum Maaro Dum’, ‘Chura Liya Hai’, ‘Chingari Koi Bhadke’ and ‘Mehbooba O Mehbooba’, among others.

His mellifluous voice was unique and made him stand apart in the pantheon of the all-time great male singers that dominated Hindi playback singing from the 1960s to the 1980s, but it was also the new ground he broke in the world of ghazals both as a vocalist and composer that make him legendary in more ways than one.

There are few maestro's who are gifted and blessed to have such scinttllating effect with the audience like Bupinder singh the soothing voice is unlikely to be silenced though and will remain live in millions of hearts of music lovers.

Bhupinder Singh's memorable works always struck a great chord with the audience "His unique voice made several ghazals immortal and unforgettable". The soothing voice of maestro Bhupinder Singh of the "Naam Gum Jayega" fame will continue to hunt the music lovers for ever.

Maestro with over five decades of musical excellence, had enthralled the world of music with his incredible contribution to films as a Ghazal singer and Guitarist par excellence and he would have given more for his music lovers but destiny willed otherwise and he left for eternity. his fragrant memory will endure.

I end my Tribute to maestro by remembering his 5 most soulful, melodious renditions which have touched many hearts.
(i) "Naam goom Jayega" Chehra badal Jayega,"Meri Awaz Hi Pehchan hai, Gar Yaad Rahe duet with Lata (Kinara)
(ii) "karoge yaad to, har baat yaad aayegii" (Bazar)
(iii) "Dil Dhoondta hai phir wohi fursat ke Raat Mein" duet with Lata (Mausam)
(iv) "Ek Akela Is Shaher Mein ("Gharaonda") and most soul hunting song
(v) "Kabhi Kisi ko Mukammal Jahn Nahi Milta" (Ahista Ahista)

The maestro has left behind an eternal treasure of soulful and soothing music, which will continues to resonate the hearts of millions of music lovers around the world for long time to come, Maestro's lasting legacy is his deep voice and the soulful renditions which have endured millions of music lovers.

The soothing voice is unlikely to be silenced though and will remain alive forever in millions of hearts.

RIP Bhupinder Singh.

You will be in our heart forever.

Ramesh G jethwani is a Veteran writer, Voracious reader, Historian and commentator who has been writing in 21 newspapers in India and GCC countries for several decades on various subjects of importance.
His website.www: rameshjethwani.com.

Yet another doyen has passed unto eternity. The death of music maestro Bhupen Hazarika marks an end of an era as in recent past we have lost many musical legends, such as Jagjit Singh, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Gangubai Hangal, C Ashwat, etc. He was a multi- faceted personality – a singer, music composer, author, producer and politician.

He was a great culture icon of the country who was equally cherished in Dhaka and in Guwahati and who entertained music lovers with his powerful soulful renditions for several decades.

He leaves behind a legacy that is both profound and popular. His death is not only an irreparable loss to the cultural and music arena but also to the entire nation.

Sir, Ustad Bismillah Khan, India’s greatest exponent of the Shehnai, who was described by President Abdul Kalam as a divine musician “who comes on once in a lifetime“ died in his hometown Varanasi at the age of 90. He responsible for making the shehnai popular both nationally and internationally. The legendary musician has left a huge vacuum in Indian classical music, which will be impossible to fill and he will be remembered for unifying Indian culture.

He was a devout Muslim who performed namaz five times a day but was a great example of Indian secularism. In Varanasi, after the bomb blast at the Sankat Mochan Temple, the credit for communal riots not breaking out then should go to him.

Khan sahib, the shehnai virtuoso, was among the few Indians who had the distinction of receiving all the national awards: Padma shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the highest honor, the Bharat Ratna.

Sir, Ustad Bismillah Khan was India’s greatest exponent of shehnai, who was described by President A.P.J Abdul Kalam as a divine musician, who comes only once in a lifetime. He died in his hometown Varanasi at the age of 91. He was a legend responsible for making shehnai popular at the international level. His death has left a big vacuum in the Indian classical music scene and will be remembered for promoting the Indian culture. He was a devout Muslim who performed namaz all five times.

He proved that he was a secular Indian after the bomb blast in Sankat Mochan temple. If communal riots did not break out in the city, then the credit goes to him.

Sir, Ustad Bismillah Khan, India’s greatest exponent of the indian classical music, who was described by President Abdul Kalam as a divine musician “who comes once in a lifetime “ died in his hometown Varanasi at the age of 90. He responsible for making the shehnai popular both nationally and internationally.

The legendary musician has left a huge vacuum in Indian classical music, which will be impossible to fill and he will be remembered for unifying Indian culture.

He was a devout Muslim who performed namaz five times a day but was a great example of Indian secularism. In Varanasi, after the bomb blast at the Sankat Mochan Temple, the credit for communal riots not breaking out then should go to him. Khan sahib, the shehnai virtuoso, was among the few Indians who had the distinction of receiving all the national awards: Padma shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the highest honor, the Bharat Ratna.

The Death of legendary vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, The TANSEN of Hinsuatni music is a great loss to the entire country. His songs touched the hearts of thousands and he was both as great human beings and musicians respected by many.

His life will surely be inspiration to the new generation of Musicians and following his humble path would be greatest tributes.

He transcended the so called barriers and classical music had created in society-that is appealed only to particular class and brought if closer common man. The India music industry has been orphaned.

Sir, The demise of renowned exponent of Hindustani classical music Pandit Bhimsen joshi is a huge loss for India and the Pandit joshi who belonged to Kirana Gharana, can be called the tansen of our age without exaggeration. His music touched countless people...

Sir - With Annapurna Devi’s death, the world has lost another classical music maestro. She was the famously reclusive icon of Hindustani classical music.

In the recent past, we have lost many musical legends, such as Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal, C. Ashwath and Kishori Amonkar. Annapurna Devi’s rich musical contribution will be remembered for a long time to come. Her death has created a huge void in the world of Indian classical music.

India has lost a renowned Hindustani classical musician in the death of Annapurna Devi, She was an icon of Hindustani Classical music and Indian surbahar (Bass sitar) plyer. Devi was honoured with Padma Vibhushan in 1977 and Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1991. Her rich contribution in Hindustani classical music will be remembered for long. her death ha left a void in the world of classical music, RIP Annapurna Devi.

Sir, It is saddest day for music lovers for entire subcontinent that earliest, most verstile and eminent play back singer Shamshad Begum "The golden melody of Hindi cinema "is no more with us.

Legendary singer had sung for some of the historically most memorable film songs of Indian cinema, leaves behind a treasure of soul touching songs.Her unique style of singing give a classical touch to soulful melodies which made her he queen of songs, as an artist have no boundaries she was equally famous in entire subcontinent with all those music lovers of Hindi and Urdu music. "She was an verstile artist of extraordinary talent and the songs she has left behind in her long career, will continue to enthrall music lovers for time to come, "her melodious voice takes us to the golden Era of Indian film's golden voice'

Her Unique voice that touched the heart of millions of listeners, even after several decades, her songs appear as refreshing and appealing as it did when were recorded, shamshad begum sang impressive catch of chartbuster spanning three decades that continue to be hummed even as generations after gnerations,some of those most popular songs of Shamsad begum were which thrilled the music lovers "Mere piya gaye rangoon" Kabhi Aar kabhi par", Chodo babul ka Ghar", teri mehfil meinkismet aimaan kar hum bhi dekhenge " "kaira Mohbat wala' "leke Pehle pehla pyar"and famous Qawali of Mugle Azam"teri mehfil mein kisamt aazmah kar hum bhi dekhenge" among many others,

Prime minister Dr Manmohan singh paying tribute said, she was among the most popular singer who captured the hearts of music lover in entire continent with her unique tonal rendition. she was conferred with 3rd highest civilian honour padma Bhushan in 2009 by government of India.

Though Shamsahd Begum has left us leaving behind rich legacy of her melodious voice which will continue to eternally reign in the music waves of the entire subcontinent for long times to come. my sincere condolences to his bereaved family members.

Sir The tragic news of passing away of celebrated Music composer and singer wajid khan of Sajid -Wajid duo is a very terrible news,and great loss to film industry,

Duo Sajid -Wajid composed music for many films but they were famous for composing films of Salman Khan which became super hit,

But he will be best remembered with the blockbuster film of Salman Khan's film "Dabangg" and with its famous song "Tere Mast mast do Nain'', which became a household name.

Wajid khan fought his cruel illness with indomitable spirit till end, and his demise is all the tragic as he was young only 42 years,

but his leaving at ths crucial junction is all the more tragic as he had much more to contribute to the film industry. His death has left huge void in world of music, RIP Wajid Khan

Sir, With Girja Devi" death,the owrld has bid farewell to another classical music maestro. Girja devi will always be known as one of the foremost exponent of the Banaras and Senias Gharanas, who brought Thumri from courts unto proscenium.

The iconic vocalist's career was marked by the many honours, her loss is irreparable.

Yet another music maestro has bid farewell to the world ("Indian Singer KK dies shortly after a live concert in Kolkatta" Gulf News, May 31). It has been a year full of tragedies and turmoil for the music and entertainment industry.

The news of the untimely demise of the iconic singer and most versatile Bollywood singer, KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath), who had mesmerised music lovers for over three decades, has saddened music lovers across spectrums. He gave Indian music lovers many hit songs. His silken voice struck a chord with the masses. He was one of the top Bollywood singers, whose songs reflected a wide range of emotions. His song ‘Yaaron’, released in 1999, made him famous, and later, he started concentrating on Bollywood. His concerts were brilliant, and he was known for his electric live shows. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while condoling his death, said we would remember KK through his songs.

His death at this young age illustrates another reminder of how fragile life is from

Ramesh G jethwani is a Veteran writer, Voracious reader, Historian and commentator who has been writing in 21 newspapers in India and GCC countries for several decades on various subjects of importance.
His website.www: rameshjethwani.com.

Yet another music maestro has bid farewell to the world. Thumri exponent Girja Devi's death is not only a great loss to Indian classical music but for all lovers of classical music. Girja Devi will always be known as one of the greatest exponents of Banaras and Senia gharana who brought thumri from courts onto proscenium stage.

The iconic violist had an illustrative musical career dotted with innumerable honours like Padma Shri (1972), Padma Bhushan (1989), Padma Vibhushan (2016) and Sangeet Natak Akademy (1977).

Indian classical music has lost one of its most melodious voices. Her death is an irreparable loss and her rich contribution to kathak will always be remembered.

Sir - This refers to the report, “The bard will flow with the river” by Jahnu Barua (November 6). Yet another doyen of the music world has passed away. The death of maestro Bhupen Hazarika marks the end of an era. In recent times we have lost many music legends such as Jagjit Singh, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal etc. Bhupen Hazarika was a multifaceted personality-a great singer, music composer, author, producer and politician. He was among the greatest cultural icons of the country, and cherished in Dhaka and Guwahati.

For more than six decades he captivated the country with his soulful songs. Bhupen Hazarika, ‘the bard of Brahmaputra’ reached the pinnacle of musical career due to his ability to weave magic out of traditionally Assamese music which gave us songs like Dil hoom hoom kare and O Ganga tu behti hai kyon that swayed and inspired millions across generations with his voice. Among the many patrons of his music are former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The iconic singer had an illustrative musical career which was dotted with innumerable honours including Padma Bhushan (2001), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992), Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1987) etc.

He leaves behind a legacy that is both full of profound and popular. His death is not only an irreparable loss to the cultural and music world but the entire nation as a whole.

Sir - With the death of the thumri maestro, Girija Devi, we have lost yet another stalwart of Indian classical music. This is great loss for lovers of all forms of classical music. Girija Devi will always be known as one of the greatest exponents of the Benaras and Seniya gharanas who made thumri accessible to all music lovers. She brought thumri - which used to be restricted to the royal courts - to the proscenium stage.

The iconic musician had an illustrious career, dotted with innumerable honours. She won the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.

Her rich contribution to Kathak will also be remembered for a long time to come.

Sir Apropos 'Kishori Amonkar passes away, (DH,4), yet another music maestro has bid farewell to the world.Amonkar's death is not only a great loss to Hindustani Music but for all lovers of classical music.

She will always be known as one of the foremost and greatest exponent of jaipur Gharana. The Iconic violist had an illustrative musical career dotted with innumerable honours like Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and fellowship of Sangeet natak Akademy.

Her death is irreparable loss to all those people who lives she touched with her voice.

Sir, In the last year,we have lost many of our greatest musicians such as Gangubai Hangal, DK Pattammal, C.Ashwath and now Puttaraj Gawai. Gawai hailed from the Mecca of Indian classical music Dharwad.

He lost his eyesight but went on to master various genres of music and authored 80 books. His death is a great loss not just fo Hindustani classical music but to the entire nation.

The passing away of eminent Hindustani vocalist Pandit Puttraj Gawai is not only a great loss for Hindustani classical music but one for the entire nation. Today we feel Hindustani music has been orphaned as we have lost many musical legends like Gangubai Hangal, DK Patamal, Ashwath. His death has put an end to the golden era of Hindustani classical music.

He delighted millions of music lovers and was a multi-faceted personality, Hindustani and carnatic vocalist, writer and seer. He lost his eyesight in childhood but overcame his blindness, mastered the genres of music and authored 80 books on spirituality and religion in Kannada, Hindi, Sanskrit.

He also wrote biographies of many sharanas of the Bhakti movements of the 12th century. He was also running an ashram for 5000 orphans and the blind of which many have grown to become musicians of acclaim.

After the death of musical legends like Bhupen Hazarika, Jagjit Singh, Pandit Bhimsen joshi, Gangubai Hangal, etc, the death of Sarangi maestro and classical singer Ustad Sultan has left a void in the world of Indian classical music. It seems like an era has come to an end. But these maestros' legacies will live on.

Sir, Through these columns of your esteemed news paper, i will kike to pay my humble tribute to India's most Illustrative violinist M.S.Gopalkrishana who was also called in Musical circles as MSG.

With demise of iconic Violinist M.S.Gopalkrishana, The world of Indian classical Music has lost another towering musical maestro MSG was one of the most powerful forces in shaping violin-playing in both Carnatic and Hindustani music

Sunday morning brought the sad news of Reshma’s death. She was a legendary and most accomplished folk singer the entire sub-continent could be proud of. Her incredible songs swayed and inspired millions of music buffs.

Born in Bikaner, Rajasthan to a Banjara (gypsy) family around 1947, Reshma’s tribe migrated to Karachi shortly after independence.

Having received no formal education, she was only 12 when she was spotted singing at a shrine by a television and radio producer, who arranged for her to record her first song on Pakistan radio.

The song was an instant hit, and Reshma went on to become one of the most popular folk singers of Pakistan, appearing on television in the 1960s, as well as recording songs for both the Pakistani and Indian film industry.

During her career she was invited to meet Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

She once said in an interview, “I was born in a family of saudagars in Rajasthan in a small settlement called Bikaner. I don’t know the year I was born but I was told that I was brought to Pakistan when I was a few months old in 1947. My family would take camels from Bikaner and sell them in other areas, and bring back goats and cows from elsewhere to sell at home. I belong to a huge clan of gypsies. We were forever traveling around. Though a lot of us have now settled and taken up permanent residences in Lahore and Karachi, whenever we feel restless we pack our bags and move on.”

In January 2006, she was one of the passengers on the inaugural Lahore-Amritsar bus, the first such service linking both parts of the Punjab since 1947. The bus had 26 passengers in total of whom 15 were Pakistani officials, and Reshma had booked seven seats for herself and her family.

Reshma was diagnosed with throat cancer in the 1980's, in later years her health deteriorated, leading President Parvez Musharraf to come to her aid, giving her Rs 1 million to help pay off a bank loan, as well as putting her on a secured assistance of Rs 10,000/ per month.

With her demise, a golden era of classical folk singing has come to an end. It is an irreparable loss to the world of music.

SIR, A golden era in devotional songs and bhajans ends with the passing of Juthika Roy. Her death is a profound national loss. Her enchanting voice had once enthralled Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarojini Naidu. She was one of the most accomplished artistes of colonial and post-colonial India.

Juthika started to sing at seven and cut her first record at 13. By 1950, she had become the most sought-after artiste for rendering devotional songs in Calcutta, Bombay, Baroda and Rajkot.

On Independence Day, 1947, Nehru had once requested Juthika to keep singing over All India Radio till his motorcade reached the Red Fort. Indira Gandhi would often start her prayers with her devotional songs. She was honoured with a Padma Shri in 1982, and had lent her voice in two Bengali films, Dhuli and Ratandeep.

She immortalized bhajans with "Ghunghat ka pat khol and Pag ghungroo bandh meri nachi".

Dear Sir, The death of eminent Bharatanatyam dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai is a profound loss for the Indian art world. She was a great exponent of Bharatanatyam who played a pivotal role in popularisation of Indian dance forms.

She was a multifaceted personality, besides being a trained Bharatanatyam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam dancer, she was a poet, an environmentalist and a choreographer. She was a fervent believer in India's secular culture. She was also an inspiring teacher to thousands of students; she had trained more than 18,000 students in Indian classical dances.

She was honoured with many distinguished awards and citations in recognition of her contribution to arts.

Sir - An era has come to an end with the passing away of the eminent Bharatnatyam dancer, Mrinalini Sarabhai ("Mrinalini Sarabhai dead", Jan 21).

She was one of the greatest exponents of Bharatnatyam. Sarabhai also played a pivotal role in popularizing Indian arts. Sarabhai was a multifaceted personality. Besides being trained in Bharatnatyam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam, she was also an acclaimed poet, environmentalist and choreographer. She was an inspiring teacher, training more than 18,000 students in Indian classical classical dances. Sarabhai was the recipient of several awards, including the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan.

She has left for us a rich legacy.

Tragic news of death of renowned Pakistani qawwal, Amjad Sabri is shocking for music lovers in the entire Indian subcontinent. We all are shocked and saddened by the news of his killing. This heinous crime is not only about attack on our culture and heritage but on an entire human civilization. He is the latest victim of Taliban.

He enjoyed immense popularity in India and Pakistan. It looks like the world of qawwali has been orphaned by this great loss.

Amjad Sabri was the son of qawwal Ghulam Farid Sabri whose family is famous in the entire Indian subcontinent for its contribution to the art of qawwali.

His qawwalis touched the hearts of millions. He was both a great human being and singer respected by many. His life will surely be inspiration to the new generation of qawwals.

Sir — Renowened Qawwali singer Amjad Sabri Amjad’s death is shocking and tragic. This heinous crime is not only about attack on our culture and heritage but on the entire human civilisation. Infact, he is the latest victim of the Taliban.

Amjad enjoyed immense popularity in India and Pakistan. He was known as one of the finest Qawal of contemporary world of Qawwalis and for his soul-stirring renditions of mystic poetry.

It looks as if the world of Qawwali has been orphaned by this great loss.

Passing away of Hindustani Classical maestro Ganguba Hangal is a great loss to the world of clasical music.One feel as if Hindustani classical music has been orphaned, Gangubai The only female vocalist at a time when Kirana gharana was dominated by male singers ,had great ability to connect with an audience.She received many awrds including the Padma vibhushan in 2002,but what she will be remembered for her unique uncompromising style.

Sir, The passing away of eminent Kirana Gharana vocalist Gangubai Hangal ,who is considered one of the maestros of Indian classical music is not only a great loss for Hindustani music but for entire world music lovers.

Today we find Hindustani music is orphaned as such great artists are born once in lifetime.She was the only female singer at a time when Kirana Gharana was dominated by male singers and had a great ability to connect with audience.

Sir — Yet another music maestro bid farewell to the world,the sad news of the passing away of the renowned Gazal maestro Nayyara Noor, considered to be one of the Indian subcontinent's most popular singers has brought back musical memories of the 1980s and 90s.

She was one of the best -known and most-loved figure of the Urdu poetry and Gazals, whose soulful voice enthralled music aficionados on both sides of borders, as Gazals have been part of the our bygone era,

Nayyara Noor had a unique voice that won many a heart,she also had a consuming passion for singing poetry and Gazals in equal manners ,her Ghazals and Nazms had such deep emotions ,when we listen to them, we will feel the words are coming straight from the depth of her heart.she was also a prolific singer featured on PTV,

What distinguished Nayyara Noor from illustrative contemporaries was her dulcet voice,her ability to sing poetry and Gazals with ease, with her Brilliant prowess and ability to connect with the audience, be it a ‘Ghazal’ or a song, she will sing with the perfection to the core,Sadly the fine soul and an artiste par-excellence did not get the recognition and glory she deserved which her contemporaries and procedures vocalists like Begum Akhtar(Indin) and Noorjehan(Pakistan) achieved,probably she remained away from flamboyance in spite of her iconic status.

Today when Iconic Gazal queen Nayyara Noor is no more with us,but her melodious voice and heart touching Gazal AND SONGS "AYE ISHQ HAMEIN BARBAD NA KAR, BARBAD NA KAR" ,AND ROOTHE HO TUM TUMKO KAISE MANAU PIYA, becomes the more poignant and soul string, the lyrics is literally heart-wrenching.

Her death is ‘an irreparable loss’ to the world of Music . Be it a ‘ghazal’ or a song, Nayyara Noor sang with perfection

Nayyara Noor has left heavenly abode to meet her maker,leaving behind an ever-lasting legacy of her unmatched melodious voice and endless memories of brilliant musical work in Ghazals,Nazma and Poetries.

Love and respect from India

The passing away of eminent Kirana Gharana Hindustani vocalist Gangubai Hangal ,considered one of the Maestro of the Indian classical music ,is not only a great loss to to Hindustani Music but to entire country and the world.

The world of Hindustani classical music has been orphaned by this great loss.Hangal was one of the first female singers from the gharana and had to fight to earn. a place in male dominated world.

She had a great ability to connect with the audience.Indian classical music has been kept alive thanks to the great stalwarts vocalists such as late Gangubai Hangal,Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhim Sen Joshi,and kishori Amonkar who all belong to the Hubli Dharwad belt, the Mecca of the Indian classical Music.

Sir,An golden Era comes to an End with the passing away of of Eminent Carnatic vocalist RK Srikantan.He was doyen of Carnatic music.The Nonagenarian will be remembered as one of the greatest performers of the ancient musical genre.Srikantan was blessed with great resonant voice that energetically entertained people of concert halls across the globe. he was known for for the perfect blend of ragas and talas.He was trained and shaped by great legendaries such as Veena Subbanna ,Musiri Subramania Iyer and Semmangudi whose essence can be traced in RK Srikanta"s type , his music was truly holistic and highly appreciated by all.

He was honoured with many accolades including the of his melodious carnatic music which will continue to eternally reign the waves Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya academy award in 1981 and Padma Bhushan in 1995.

Srikantan has left behind a rich legacy of Melodious carnatic music which will be continue to eternally reign the waves for long time to come.

The tragic news of the passing away of celebrated Bollywood music composer and singer Wajid Khan, of the Sajid -Wajid duo, was a sad news to read ("Bollywood composer Wajid Khan, of Sajid-Wajid fame, dies", Gulf news, June 1). This is a great loss to the film industry.

The duo composed music for many films but they were famous for the music they gave to Bollywood actor, Salman Khan’s movies.

Wajid Khan fought his cruel illness with indomitable spirit till the end, and his demise is tragic. He was only 42 years old. His death has left huge void in world of Indian film music.

Dear Sir,
The The passing away of accomplished musician Raju Ananthaswamy, the son of the legendary Mysore Anane thaswamy, is an irreparable t loss to Indian classical music g and its lovers. Ananthaswamy was a multi-talented t personality who proved himself to be equally good at acting, singing and playing the tabla. He was a maestro who popularized the Sugama Sangeetha form of light classical music globally. He had the enviable gift of being able to connect with his audience.

Generally, in the field of classical music, the son takes forward the legacy of the father and Ananthaswamy father always had great expectations from his son.

Unfortunately, Raju Ananthaswamy left us at the young age of 39, leaving a huge void. His compositions will continue to be a source of inspiration to generations of aspiring musicians.

The demise of accomplished musician Raju Ananthaswamy is an irreparable loss to Indian classical music lovers.He was a multifaceted personality and popularized the Sugam sangeet form of light classical music.

He had great ability to connect with the audience.

His father late Mysore Ananthaswamy used to say that raju would greater heights music.raju strived to popularised light classical music abroad.

He has left us at early age of 39,He will always be remembered for his great compositions.

This is in reference to the article “Ravi Shankar: The Godfather of World Music” published in KT on December 13. The world of music has lost a great legend with demise of sitar player and composer Ravi Shankar.

An era of Indian classical music has come to an end with the passing away of the maestro, who was the greatest proponent of Indian traditional music. It must be acknowledged that the legendary musician was perhaps one of the most well-known Indians globally known whose accomplishments at the international level are certainly more than other Indian musician.

Ravi Shankar will be best remembered as the sitar virtuoso who became a musical icon of the hippie movement during the 1960s after hobnobbing and greatly influencing the Beatles. He is also credited with popularising Indian music through his work with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and introducing traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences.

Not only was he an amazing artist, he was also a very humble person. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid tribute to this legendary sitar player by calling him a national treasure and global ambassador of India’s cultural heritage.

This iconic musician had the distinction of receiving many national and global awards, including India’s highest civilian awards

Sir — A significant era of Indian classical music has come to an end with the passing away of Ravi Shankar. Among other things, Shankar will be remembered as the musician who became an icon after collaborating with and greatly influencing a member of the Beatles. He is also credited with popularizing Indian music through his work with Yehudi Menuhin.The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, while paying tribute to the legend, has rightly said that with his demise a national treasure and global ambassador of India’s cultural heritage has gone.

The icon had an illustrative career spanning six decades. He received many national and global awards that included the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, as well as three Grammys. Music lovers should pay him a fitting tribute.

Sir,An golden Era comes to an End with the passing away of of Eminent Carnatic vocalist RK Srikantan.He was doyen of Carnatic music.The Nonagenarian will be remembered as one of the greatest performers of the ancient musical genre.Srikantan was blessed with great resonant voice that energetically entertained people of concert halls across the globe. he was known for for the perfect blend of ragas and talas.He was trained and shaped by great legendaries such as Veena Subbanna ,Musiri Subramania Iyer and Semmangudi whose essence can be traced in RK Srikanta"s type , his music was truly holistic and highly appreciated by all.

He was honoured with many accolades including the of his melodious carnatic music which will continue to eternally reign the waves Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya academy award in 1981 and Padma Bhushan in 1995.

Srikantan has left behind a rich legacy of Melodious carnatic music which will be continue to eternally reign the waves for long time to come.

The demise of accomplished musician Raju Ananthaswamy is an irreparable loss to Indian classical music lovers.He was a multifaceted personality and popularized the Sugam sangeet form of light classical music.

He had great ability to connect with the audience.

His father late Mysore Ananthaswamy used to say that raju would greater heights music.raju strived to popularised light classical music abroad.

He has left us at early age of 39,He will always be remembered for his great compositions.

Sir — An era has come to an end with the passing away of the iconic bhajan singer, Juthika Roy. Roy’s death is a profound loss to the nation. She had the privilege to enthrall the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarojini Naidu with her enchanting voice. She will always be remembered as one of India’s most gifted proponents of devotional music.

Roy began her singing career at the age seven. She cut her first record at the age of 13. Her talent had been spotted by none less than the famous Bengali poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam. Noted music director Kamal Dasgupta and vocalist Bhismadev Chattopadhyay were Roy’s other mentors. By the 1950s, Roy had become the most sought after artist in the genre of devotional music in the musical circuits of Calcutta, Mumbai, Baroda and Rajkot.

Roy had the honour to become a part of the nation’s history when Nehru requested her to keep performing on All India Radio till his motorcade reached the Red fort from Teenmurti Bhavan on August 15, 1947. Even Indira Gandhi was a great admirer of her singing. The veteran artist was honoured with a national award in 1972. She lent her melodious voice to two Bengali films — Dhuli and Ratnadeep. Roy also immortalized bhajans, like “Ghunghat ka pat khol” and “Pag ghungru bandh meera nachi”.

The popularity of bhajans has been fast waning in this era of popular music. But Roy’s contribution will continue to inspire other performers and her legacy would not be forgotten.

SIR, Performing arts is the poorer with the passing of the eminent dancer and acclaimed kathak exponent, Sitara Devi.

She was endowed with almost unparalleled talent for dancing. She personified the very essence of our culture and tradition. Rabindranath Tagore had once described her as nritya samragini, meaning “empress of dance”. She was a kathak legend and her role in bringing the dance form to Bollywood was phenomenal. She had the credit of popularizing kathak not merely in India but globally as well; several of her renditions will be referred to as milestones. She was awarded for her contribution to the classical dance genre for over six decades.

She won the Sangeet Natak Akademy award in 1969, the Padma Shree in 1973 and the Kalidas Samman. She had performed in concerts and festivals of India, notably at Royal Albert Hall, London, and at Carnegie Hall, New York.

Her legacy will continue to inspire the younger generation of kathak dancers

Yet another doyen has passed unto eternity. The death of music maestroBhupen Hazarika marks an end of an era. In the recent past we have lost many musical legends like Jjagjit Singh, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal etc.

He had a multifaceted personality, being a great singer, music composer, author, producer and politician. He was the greatest cultural icon who was widely cherished as well as one who entertained music lovers with his powerful soulful renditions for seven decades.

He was also a strong social reformer who had countless fans including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who himself was a connoisseur of poetry and music. The iconic singer had an illustrative musical career which was dotted with innumerable honours as he received several national awards and prizes for his work.

He leaves behind a legacy that is both profound and popular. His death is a not only irreparable loss to cultural and music arena but to entire nation.

Sir, Musical show by world renowned and much celebrated conductor of western classical music Zubin Mehata in Srinagar has clearly given message to the world that Peace over rides violence, though there were some problems in Kashmir valley , but by and large it has been proved that music is a instrument of peace and Harmony, his show had left audience spell bound and were mesmerized by his most popular western classical composition at the Mughal era 17th century terraced Shalimar garden on the Bank of Dal lake,

Audience were spell bound and mesmerized by his most popular and best known soulful western classical composition at the Moghal era's 17th century terraced Shalimar garden on the Bank of Dal lake,This concert event was live telecasted live by TV Doordarshan for the first time in Hi-Definition format, which was watched by millions across India and 50 European countries.

Maestro Zubin Mehta is a great, dramatic, unconventional conductor of western classical music who by this show had life time wish fulfilled by performing this live show in Kashmir , Zubin Mehta had even dared to play in midst of Bosnian war.

We all hope his music will definitely provide hope to the people of Kashmir who have gone through great despair.