On the first anniversary of India's Independence, Ustad Bismillah Khan had enthralled audiences with a sterling performance from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

But fate did not allow the shehnai maestro to fulfill his last wish, that of playing at India Gate.

The man who mesmerised generations of Indians with his mellifluous music wanted to make the performance a memorable one.

But a concert at the venue, scheduled for August 9, was cancelled due to security reasons.

The 91-year-old Bharat Ratna awardee, said to be single-handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument, had earlier alleged he had been denied the opportunity to play at India Gate because he was a Muslim.

However, Khan was quick to point out he never faced any hurdles on account of being a Muslim.

"Music has no caste. I have received love and affection all over the world. The government has given me all the four highest civilian awards in the past five decades," he said.

Khan was born on 21 March, 1916. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar and he was trained under his uncle, the late Ali Bux 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple.

Where others saw conflict and contradiction between his music and his religion, Bismillah Khan saw only a divine unity.

Even as a devout Shia, he was also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music.

During his long and fruitful career as an artiste, Khan enthralled audiences at performances across the globe. He was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, the Tansen award as well as the Padma Vibhushan.

source:IBN LIVE