2.2 The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan
BEFORE YOU READ
• Do you know
these people? What instruments do they play?
• Think of the shehnai and the first
thing you’ll probably imagine is a wedding or a similar occasion or function.
The next would probably be Ustad Bismillah Khan, the shehnai maestro, playing
this instrument.
01. EMPEROR
Aurangzeb banned the playing of a musical instrument called pungi in the royal residence for it had a shrill unpleasant
sound. Pungi became the generic
name for reeded noisemakers. Few had thought that it would one day be revived.
A barber of a family of professional musicians, who had access to the royal
palace, decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was
longer and broader than the pungi, and made seven holes on the body of the pipe. When he played on it,
closing and opening some of these holes, soft and melodious sounds were
produced. He played the instrument before royalty and everyone was impressed.
The instrument so different from the pungi had to be given a new name. As the story goes, since it was first played in
the Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai (barber), the instrument was named the ‘shehnai’.
QUESTIONS:
1. Who banned the musical instrument pungi?
2. What was a Pungi?
3. Who was Aurangzeb?
4. In which place Aurangzeb banned the musical instrument pungi?
5. why did he ban it?
6. What is the generic name for pungi?
7. What was the snoname of noisemaker?
8. Which family improve the tonal quality of the pungi?
9. What was the quality improved Pungi?
Ans. A barber chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem, longer and broader than the pungi. He made seven holes on the body of the pipe. When he played on it, closing and opening some of these holes, soft and melodious sounds were produced.
10. What was the profession of barber?
11. Where did he played his new instrument?
Ans. He played the instrument before royalty and everyone was impressed.
12. How did the new instrument found its new name?
Ans. As the story goes, since it was first played in the Shah’s chambers by a nai (barber), so that the instrument was named the ‘shehnai’.
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02. The
sound of the shehnai began to be considered auspicious. And for this reason it
is still played in temples and is an indispensable component of any North
Indian wedding. In the past, the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at
royal courts. Till recently it was used only in temples and weddings. The
credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to Ustad
Bismillah Khan.
QUESTIONS:
01. What type of the sound of the shehnai was considered?
02. What is the reason that it is still played in temples and North Indian wedding?
Ans. The shehnai is considered auspicious that is why it is still played in temples and in the North Indian weddings.
03. When was the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts.
Ans. In the past, the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts.
04. The shehnai was part of the ...... nine instruments found at royal courts.
Till recently it was used only in temples and weddings. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan.
3. As a
five-year old, Bismillah Khan played gillidanda near a pond in the ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar. He would regularly
go to the nearby Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri ‘Chaita’, at the end of which he would earn a big laddu weighing
1.25 kg, a prize given by the local Maharaja. This happened 80 years ago, and
the little boy has travelled far to earn the highest civilian award in India —
the Bharat Ratna.
4. Born
on 21 March 1916, Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of musicians from
Bihar. His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan, was the shehnainawaz of the Bhojpur king’s court. His father,
Paigambar Bux, and other paternal ancestors were also great shehnai players.
5. The
young boy took to music early in life. At the age of three when his mother took
him to his maternal uncle’s house in Benaras (now Varanasi), Bismillah was
fascinated watching his uncles practise the shehnai. Soon Bismillah started
accompanying his uncle, Ali Bux, to the Vishnu temple of Benaras where Bux was
employed to play the shehnai. Ali Bux would play the shehnai and Bismillah
would sit captivated for hours on end. Slowly, he started getting lessons in
playing the instrument and would sit practicing throughout the day. For years
to come the temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya and the banks of the Ganga
became the young apprentice’s favourite haunts where he could practise in
solitude. The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent
ragas that were earlier considered to be beyond the range of the shehnai.
6. At
the age of 14, Bismillah accompanied his uncle to the Allahabad Music
Conference. At the end of his recital, Ustad Faiyaz Khan patted the young boy’s
back and said, “Work hard and you shall make it.” With the opening of the All
India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 came Bismillah’s big break. He soon became an
often-heard shehnai player on radio.
7. When
India gained independence on 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first
Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai. He poured his heart out into Raag
Kafi from the Red Fort to an audience which included Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, who later gave his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech.
8. Bismillah
Khan has given many memorable performances both in India and abroad. His first
trip abroad was to Afghanistan where King Zahir Shah was so taken in by the
maestro that he gifted him priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs.The
King of Afghanistan was not the only one to be fascinated with Bismillah’s
music. Film director Vijay Bhatt was so impressed after hearing Bismillah play
at a festival that he named a film after the instrument called Gunj Uthi Shehnai. The film was a hit, and one of Bismillah
Khan’s compositions, “Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya ...,” turned out to be a nationwide chartbuster! Despite this huge success in
the celluloid world, Bismillah Khan’s ventures in film music were limited to
two: Vijay Bhatt’s Gunj Uthi Shehnai and Vikram Srinivas’s Kannada venture, Sanadhi
Apanna. “I just can’t come to terms with the artificiality and
glamour of the film world,” he says with emphasis.
9. Awards
and recognition came thick and fast. Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to
be invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Centre Hall in the United
States of America. He also took part in the World Exposition in Montreal, in
the Cannes Art Festival and in the Osaka Trade Fair. So well known did he
become internationally that an auditorium in Teheran was named after him —
Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan.
10. National
awards like the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan were
conferred on him.
11. In
2001, Ustad Bismillah Khan was awarded India’s highest civilian award, the
Bharat Ratna. With the coveted award resting on his chest and his eyes glinting
with rare happiness he said, “All I would like to say is: Teach your children
music, this is Hindustan’s richest tradition; even the West is now coming to
learn our music.’’
12. In
spite of having travelled all over the world — Khansaab as he is fondly called
— is exceedingly fond of Benaras and Dumraon and they remain for him the most
wonderful towns of the world. A student of his once wanted him to head a
shehnai school in the U.S.A., and the student promised to recreate the
atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the temples there. But Khansaab asked him
if he would be able to transport River Ganga as well. Later he is remembered to
have said, “That is why whenever I am in a foreign country, I keep yearning to
see Hindustan. While in Mumbai, I think of only Benaras and the holy Ganga. And
while in Benaras, I miss the unique mattha of Dumraon.”
13. 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 very
naturally play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
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SHEKHAR GUPTA: When Partition happened, didn’t you and
your family think of moving to Pakistan?
BISMILLAH KHAN: God forbid! Me, leave Benaras? Never! I
went to Pakistan once—I crossed the border just to say I have been to Pakistan.
I was there for about an hour. I said namaskar to the Pakistanis and salaam alaikum to the Indians! I had a good laugh. (Readers’
Digest, October 2005)
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Meanings:
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generic name: a name given to a class or group as a whole reeded: wind instruments which have reeds like the flute, the
clarinet, etc. auspicious: promising to bring good fortune
indispensable: without which a piece of work cannot be done
ensembles (pronounced ‘onsomble’): things (here,
instruments) considered as a group
paternal ancestors: ancestors of the father on end: for a very long time without stopping
taken in by: attracted or charmed by
souvenirs: things given in memory of a place, person or event
chartbuster: record breaker
celluloid: old fashioned way of referring to films
ventures: projects that often involve risk
conferred: given, usually an award or a degree
coveted: much desired
devout: believing strongly in a religion and
obeying its laws and following its practices
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Q. Write the character sketch of
Bismillah Khan.
Ans. Ustad
Bismillah Khan was a greatest shehnai player of India. He was born at Dumraon
in Bihar in 21st march 1916. He belongs from a professional
musician family. He used to play gilli-danda with other boys. In his
childhood. After it he used to go nearby temple. Where he used to sing Chaita
song. The local Maharaja felt pleased to hear him. He was regularly rewarded
with a big Laddu Weighed 1.25 kg at the age of six he went to Banaras to
learn shehnai by his uncle.
He practices for house in
the temple of Balaji and Mangla Maya and also on the bank of river Ganga
lonely. He has won many awards. He got
his first big award at the age of 14 from all India Music conference of
Allahabad. He was the awarded the Bharat Ratna the highest civilian award of
India in 2001. He died with a long sickness in 21 Aug. 2006. A great musician
apart from us for always
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Thinking about the Text
I. Tick the right answer.
Q. 1. The (shehnai, pungi)
was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’
Q. 2. (Bismillah Khan, A
barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
Q. 3. Bismillah Khan’s
paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional musicians).
Q. 4. Bismillah Khan learnt
to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).
Q. 5. Bismillah Khan’s first
trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).
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Ans. 1. The pungi was a ‘reeded
noisemaker.’
Ans. 2. A barber transformed the
pungi into a shehnai.
Ans. 3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal
ancestors were professional musicians.
Ans. 4. Bismillah Khan learnt to
play the shehnai from Ali Bux.
Ans.
5. Bismillah Khan’s first
trip abroad was to Afghanistan.
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II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed below. Then mark a tick (✔ ✔) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.
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Bismillah Khan’s feelings about
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Positive
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Negative
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Neutral
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1. teaching children music
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2. the film world
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3. migrating to the U.S.A.
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4. playing at temples
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5. getting the Bharat Ratna
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6. the banks of the Ganga
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7. leaving Benaras
and Dumraon
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Answer
III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.Q. 1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the
playing of the pungi?
Ans. Aurangzeb banned the
playing of musical instrument pungi because it had a shrill, unpleasant sound.
Q. 2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Ans. Shehnai has a better tonal
quality than pungi. It is a natural hollow stem pipe with holes on its body and
is longer and broader than the pungi. Shehnai is, in a way, an improvement upon
the pungi.
Ans. The shehnai was traditionally
played in royal courts, temples and weddings. Ustaad Bismillah khan, an
undisputed monarch of shehnai brought this instrument onto the classical stage.
Q. 4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Ans. Bismillah khan got his big
break in 1938. The All India Radio opened in Lucknow and Bismillah khan played
shehnai on radio. He soon became an often heard player on radio. He became the
first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai from the Red Fort on 15
August, 1947.
Q. 5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Ans. On 15 August 1947,
Bismillah Khan played the Raag Kaafi on his shehnai from the Red Fort. The
event was historical because it was on the occasion of India's Independence
from British Rule.
Q. 6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Ans. Bismillah Khan refused one of
his student's request to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he would
not live away from Hindustan, specifically, from Benaras, the River Ganga and
Dumraon.
Q. 7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Ans. The first instance is
when he turned down his student’s offer to start a shehnai school in U.S.A. The
second instance is when Khansaab was asked by Shekhar Gupta about moving to
Pakistan during the partition, he said that he would never leave Benaras.
Thinking about language
I. Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a
to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets.
Q. 1.
The school sports team hopes (What does it hope to do?)
Q. 2.
We all want (What do we all want to do?)
Q. 3.
They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother (What did they advise her to
do?)
Q. 4.
The authorities permitted us to (What did the authorities permit us to
do?)
Q. 5.
A musician decided to (What did the musician decide to do?)
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Ans. 1. The school sports
team hopes to win the match.
Ans. 2. We all want to go to
succeed in our life.
Ans. 3. They advised the
hearing-impaired child’s mother to consult a doctor.
Ans. 4. The authorities
permitted us to construct the building.
Ans. 5. A musician decided to open a school for children.
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II. From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.
1. the home of royal people (1) ______________ .
2. the state of being alone (5) ______________ .
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2)_________________ .
4. to do something not done before (5) ________________ .
5. without much effort (13) ____________ .
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) _____________ and
______________ .
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Ans.
1. the royal residence,
2. solitude, 3. indispensable, 4. invent, 5. effortlessly, 6. thick and fast
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III. Tick the right answer.
Q. 1.
When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).
Q. 2.
When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
Q. 3.
When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
Q. 4.
When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
Q. 5.
When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).
Q. 6.
When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second
time).
Q. 7.
When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer
upsetting).
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Ans. 1. When something is
revived, it lives again.
Ans. 2. When a government
bans something, it wants it stopped.
Ans. 3. When something is
considered auspicious, welcome it.
Ans. 4. When we take to
something, we find it interesting.
Ans. 5. When you appreciate
something, you find it good and useful.
Ans. 6. When you replicate
something, you do it for the second time.
Ans. 7. When we come to terms with something, it is no longer
upsetting.
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Consult
your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done
for you.
Answer
Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.
Some sentences using these adjectives are:
1. She is indispensable for the successful completion of the project.
2. Sunita was impressed by my singing.
3. He is afraid of the dark.
4. I enjoy the company of my paternal uncle.
5. Gennie was showered with countless gifts.
6. My grandmother gave me a priceless piece of advice.
IV. Dictionary work
• The sound of the shehnai is auspicious.
• The auspicious sound of the shehnai is usually heard at marriages.
The adjective auspicious can occur after the verb be as in the first sentence, or before a noun as in the second. But there are
some adjectives which can be used after the verb be and not before a noun. For example:
• Ustad Faiyaz Khan was overjoyed.
We cannot say: *the overjoyed
man.
Look at these entries
from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2005).
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elder adj., noun
adjective 1 [only before
noun]
(of people, especially two members
of the same family)
older: my elder brother • his elder sister 2 (the
elder) used without a noun immediately after
it to show who is the older of two
people: the elder of their two sons 3 (the elder) (formal) used before or after sb’s name to show
that they are the older of two people who
have the same name: the elder Pitt • Pitt, the elder.
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awake adj., verb
adjective [not before noun] not asleep (especially
immediately before or after sleeping): to be half/fully awake; to be wide awake. I was still awake when he came to bed.
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Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.
Speaking
I. Imagine the famous singer Kishori Amonkar is going to
visit your school. You have been asked to introduce her to the audience before
her performance. How would you introduce her?
Here is some information about Kishori Amonkar you can
find on the Internet.
Read the passage and make notes of the main points about:
• her parentage
• the school of music she belongs to
• her achievements
• her inspiration
• awards
Padma Bhushan Kishori Amonkar, widely considered the finest
female vocalist of her generation, was born in 1931, daughter of another great
artist, Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. In her early years she absorbed the approach and
repertoire of her distinguished mother’s teacher Ustad Alladiya Khan. As her
own style developed, however, she moved away from Alladiya Khan’s ‘Jaipur-
Atrauli gharana’ style in some respects, and as a mature artist her approach is
usually regarded as an individual, if not unique, variant of the Jaipur model.
Kishori Amonkar is a thinker, besotted by
what she calls the mysterious world of her raagas. She dissects them with the precision of a perfectionist, almost like a
scientist, until the most subtle of shades and emotions emerge and re-emerge.
She is very much inspired by the teachings
of the ancient Vedic sages, written at a time when vocal music was highly
devotional in character. This soul searching quality of her music, coupled with
a very intellectual approach to raaga performance has gained her quite a following in India and has helped to
revive the study of khayal.
Significant awards bestowed on this artist
include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and
the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award (considered one of the most
prestigious awards in Indian Classical Music) in 1997.
II. Use your notes on Kishori Amonkar to introduce her to
an imaginary audience. You may use one of the following phrases to introduce a
guest:
I am honoured to introduce.../I feel privileged to
introduce.../We welcome you...
Writing
“If you work hard and know where you’re going, you’ll get
there,” says Evelyn Glennie.
You have now read about two musicians, Evelyn Glennie and
Ustad Bismillah Khan. Do you think that they both worked hard? Where did they
want to ‘go’ ?
Answer these questions in two paragraphs, one on each of
the two musicians.
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Whenever you see darkness, there is
extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter. – BONO
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