Gadkari pays tribute to Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan
Synopsis
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari paid homage to Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan on his death anniversary on 21 August 2026, honouring the shehnai legend who played at India's 1947 Independence ceremony and received the nation's highest civilian award in 2001.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari posted a tribute to Ustad Bismillah Khan on his death anniversary, 21 August 2026 .
Gadkari called Khan 'शहनाई के जादूगर' — 'the magician of the shehnai' — in his post on X.
Bismillah Khan performed at Red Fort on the night India gained independence, 14–15 August 1947 .
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna , India's highest civilian honour, in 2001 .
Khan passed away on 21 August 2006 ; annual tributes from public figures mark the date each year.
The haunting notes of the shehnai once stopped a nation in its tracks — and on his death anniversary, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari paused to remember the man behind them. On 21 August 2026, Gadkari posted a tribute on X to Ustad Bismillah Khan, the legendary shehnai maestro and Bharat Ratna awardee, calling him 'शहनाई के जादूगर' — 'the magician of the shehnai.'
Gadkari's post read: 'शहनाई के जादूगर 🇮🇳 भारत रत्न उस्ताद बिस्मिल्ला ख़ाँ जी की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें विनम्र अभिवादन।' — 'A humble salute to Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan, the magician of the shehnai, on his death anniversary.'
The man who played at midnight, when India became free
Ustad Bismillah Khan's place in Indian history is singular. On the night of 14–15 August 1947, as India crossed into independence, it was his shehnai that filled the air at Red Fort, Delhi — a moment that fused a classical instrument with the birth of a republic. Born in Dumraon, Bihar, and rooted in Varanasi, Khan spent decades elevating the shehnai from a ceremonial folk instrument to a centrepiece of Hindustani classical music, performing on the grandest stages in India and abroad. He received the Bharat Ratna — India's highest civilian honour — in 2001, a recognition that placed him alongside the rarest names in the country's cultural canon. He passed away on 21 August 2006.Why political tributes to Khan endure two decades on
Every year on 21 August, public figures across the political spectrum mark Khan's death anniversary on social media — a pattern that reflects how deeply his legacy is woven into India's official cultural memory. For a minister like Gadkari, whose public communication spans infrastructure announcements and national occasions alike, the tribute is part of a broader practice of keeping India's Bharat Ratna recipients visible in public discourse. Khan's music lives on in recordings, in the shehnai's continued presence at weddings and temples, and in the curricula of Hindustani classical institutions. The 'magician of the shehnai' needs no introduction — but the annual remembrance ensures a new generation keeps hearing the name. Twenty years after his passing, the notes still carry.Point of View
Invoking figures like Bismillah Khan — a Muslim classical artist who is also a symbol of composite Indian culture — carries a particular resonance, underscoring a narrative of inclusive national pride. The annual cycle of such tributes on social media has become a low-cost but high-visibility form of cultural statecraft. Khan's legacy, rooted in Varanasi and heard at India's founding moment, makes him an especially potent symbol for any political figure to invoke.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ustad Bismillah Khan?
Ustad Bismillah Khan was a legendary Indian shehnai player from Varanasi, widely regarded as the musician who elevated the shehnai to a classical concert instrument. He received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2001.
When did Ustad Bismillah Khan die?
Ustad Bismillah Khan passed away on 21 August 2006 in Varanasi, at the age of 90.
Why did Bismillah Khan play at India's Independence in 1947?
Bismillah Khan performed on the shehnai at Red Fort, Delhi, on the night of 14–15 August 1947 as part of India's Independence celebrations, a performance that became one of the most iconic moments in the country's cultural history.
What did Nitin Gadkari say about Bismillah Khan?
Minister Nitin Gadkari posted a tribute on X on 21 August 2026, calling Bismillah Khan 'the magician of the shehnai' and offering a humble salute on his death anniversary.
When was Bismillah Khan awarded the Bharat Ratna?
Ustad Bismillah Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001, making him one of the few classical musicians to receive India's highest civilian honour.
