Khattar pays tribute to Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan on death anniversary
Synopsis
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar honoured Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan on his death anniversary on 21 August 2026, calling him the 'pole star of the music world' and saluting his unmatched contribution to Hindustani classical music.
Key Takeaways
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar paid tribute to Ustad Bismillah Khan on his death anniversary, 21 August 2026 .
Bismillah Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001 , India's highest civilian honour, for his contributions to music.
Khan transformed the shehnai from a folk instrument into a concert-hall staple and performed at the Red Fort on Independence Day 1947 .
He passed away on 21 August 2006 in Varanasi , aged 90.
Khattar described him as 'संगीत जगत के ध्रुवतारे' — 'the pole star of the music world'.
The shehnai fell silent on 21 August 2006, but its echo never did. On the death anniversary of Ustad Bismillah Khan, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar paid homage on Friday, 21 August 2026 to the maestro whose reed instrument carried Hindustani classical music to stages across the world.
Khattar wrote in Hindi: 'संगीत जगत के ध्रुवतारे' — 'the pole star of the music world' — saluting Khan as an unforgettable force who gave Indian classical music a new identity on the global stage. He offered his reverence and tribute on the occasion of the legendary shehnai player's punyatithi (death anniversary).
The man who made the shehnai immortal
Ustad Bismillah Khan was born in Dumraon, Bihar, and spent the greater part of his life in Varanasi, where the Ganga and the ghats were inseparable from his music. He transformed the shehnai — long considered a folk and ceremonial instrument — into a concert-hall centrepiece, performing at the finest venues in India and abroad. His rendition at the Red Fort on Independence Day 1947, as the nation was born, remains one of the most storied musical moments in Indian history.Bharat Ratna and a legacy beyond honours
In 2001, the Government of India conferred on him the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour — recognition that his art had transcended entertainment and entered the national cultural inheritance. He had already received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan in earlier decades, completing a rare sweep of India's civilian honour system. He passed away on 21 August 2006 in Varanasi, aged 90. Khattar's tribute is part of a long-standing tradition in Indian public life — political leaders and ministers marking the death anniversaries of artists who shaped the country's cultural identity. On this date each year, classical music institutions and cultural bodies also organise commemorative performances in Khan's memory. The pole star, as Khattar called him, set long ago. The music plays on.Point of View
Tributes to syncretic artists like Khan — a devout Muslim who played at Hindu temples and national ceremonies alike — carry a quiet but pointed symbolic weight. The gesture costs nothing politically and earns goodwill across the arts community.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Ustad Bismillah Khan die?
Ustad Bismillah Khan passed away on 21 August 2006 in Varanasi, aged 90.
Why did Manohar Lal Khattar pay tribute to Bismillah Khan?
21 August 2026 marks the death anniversary of Ustad Bismillah Khan, and Union Power Minister Khattar posted a tribute on X honouring the legendary shehnai maestro's contribution to Indian classical music.
What is Ustad Bismillah Khan famous for?
Bismillah Khan is celebrated for elevating the shehnai to a classical concert instrument and for performing at the Red Fort on India's first Independence Day in 1947 .
When did Bismillah Khan receive the Bharat Ratna?
Ustad Bismillah Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna , India's highest civilian honour, in 2001 .
Who is Manohar Lal Khattar?
Manohar Lal Khattar is India's Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs, a senior BJP leader, and a former Chief Minister of Haryana.
