BEEHIVE CH-2 (THE SOUND OF MUSIC PART 3)

 

Sound of Music Part 2

The Title

The title is suitable because this section is about the shehnai, a reed musical instrument, and Bismillah Khan, a famous shehnai performer. Shehnai originated from the pungi, which had a terrible voice. Pungi's tonal quality was improved by a naai (barber), and it was played at the court of Shah Emperor Aurangzeb, giving birth to shehnai. The title also honours Bismillah Khan's shehnai, which is known for its beautiful melodies. Bismillah Khan's accomplishments and prizes as a shehnai player are covered in this book.

 

Summary Part 2

The second part of the chapter portrays the journey of Bismillah Khan. Bismillah Khan was a maestro in ‘Shehnai’. The history of Shehnai says that Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the instrument ‘Pungi’ because of its unpleasant sound. 

A barber reinvented the instrument by taking a pipe with a natural hollow stem and making seven holes on its body. He played on it by opening and closing some of those holes. The instrument produced a melodious sound. The emperor accepted the instrument named ‘Shehnai’. The sound of the shehnai was considered auspicious and so it was played in the temples and at weddings. Ustad Bismillah Khan brought the instrument onto the classical stage. 

Ustad Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916, in a family of musicians in Bihar. His grandfather Rasool Bux Khan played shehnai in the Bhojpur king’s court. His father Paigambar Bux and other ancestors were also great shehnai players. When Bismillah Khan was three years old, he went to his maternal uncle’s house and he was very impressed by his uncle’s practice of shehnai. 

He accompanied his uncle to the Vishnu temple of Banaras where his uncle performed. Soon, he started practising playing this instrument. Over the years, the temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya in Banaras and the banks of Ganges became his practice grounds. 

At the age of fourteen, Bismillah accompanied his uncle to the Allahabad Music conference. The opening of the All-India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 became a big breakthrough for him. He started playing shehnai on the radio. He was the first Indian to greet the nation’s independence with his shehnai on 15^th August 1947. He played Raag Kafi from the Red Fort. 

Bismillah Khan has given many memorable performances all over the world. He also made music for two movies, which made sky-high records. He was the first Indian to be invited to perform at the Lincoln Centre Hall in the USA. He performed in many art festivals and trade fairs across the globe. An auditorium was named after him in Teheran. He was conferred with National awards like Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He was awarded India’s highest civilian award, the ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 2001. He always conveyed to teach children music, which is one of the richest traditions of India. 

Though Bismillah Khan travelled all over the world, he loved his roots the most. He is a perfect example of an Indian who celebrated the rich culture of Indian music. 

 

Moral of the Story

Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan, two great music maestros, have proved to the world that the virtues of hard work and extraordinary efforts are constantly rewarded via their accomplishments. 

Evelyn Glennie rose to international acclaim as a multi-percussionist because of her tireless efforts, which enabled her to overcome her handicap. Rather than giving in to her deafness, she made every attempt to hear music through various parts of her body and never looked back. With her perseverance, she made it to the Royal Academy of Music in London and received some of the most prestigious accolades. Her unwavering dedication to her art has elevated percussion to a new level on the global stage.

Bismillah Khan, like Evelyn, was devoted to his art and rose to fame as a “Shehnai Vaadak”. He, too, worked hard to turn the shehnai into a classical instrument. He greatly improved on what he had inherited by broadening the range of the shehnai. His dedication helped him win the most coveted prize in India and the globe. Thus, both of their lives are wonderful examples of how hard work and dedication can lead to great success.

 

 

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What did Aurangzeb do to the playing of pungi in his royal residence?
Answer: Ms. Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi in his royal residence.

2. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of pungi in his royal residence?
Answer: Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi in his royal residence because he did not like its shrill unpleasant sound.

3. Which family did the barber belong to?
Answer: He belonged to a family of professional musicians.

4. Who invented `Shehnai’?
Answer: A barber in Aurangzeb’s court invented Shehnai.

5. How many holes does a Shehnai have on its body?
Answer: It has seven holes in its body.

6. Where was Bismillah Khan born?
Answer: He was born in Dumraon in Bihar.

7. When was Bismillah Khan born?
Answer: He was born on 21 March 1916

8. Which highest civilian award in India was conferred on Bismillah Khan?
Answer: The Bharat Ratna.

9. What was the name of Bismillah’s grandfather?
Answer: His name was Rasool Bux Khan.

10. What was the name of Bismillah’s father?
Answer: His name was Paigambar Bux.

11. What was the profession of Bismillah’s paternal ancestors?
Answer: They were great Shehnai players.

12. Who was Ali Bux?
Answer: AN Bux was Bismillah’s maternal uncle

13. When was All India Radio in Lucknow was opened?
Answer: In 1938.

14. What is Bismillah Khan’s special achievement on 15 August 1947?
Answer: Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai on this day.

15. To which foreign country did Bismillah Khan go on his first trip?
Answer: Afghanistan.

16. Which film was made by Vijay Matt after hearing Fsismillah’s Shehnai?
Answer: Gunj Uthi Shehnai.

17. Which auditorium is named after Bismillah Khan in Tehran?
Answer: The name of the auditorium is Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan.

18. What name is Bismillah Khan fondly called?
Answer: He is fondly called `Khansaab’.

19. When Bismillah Khan is in Mumbai he missed two things badly. Name those two things.
Answer: They are Benaras and Ganga.

20. What did one of his students in the U.S.A. want him to do?
Answer: One of his students in the U.S.A. wanted him to head a Shehnai school in the U.S.A.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

Answer: Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because he considered it as a reeded noisemaker with its loud, shrill, and unpleasant sound. He prohibited its play in the royal court.

2. Why did the pungi become a generic name for “reeded noisemakers”?

Answer: The pungi produced loud, unpleasant and jarring music. Because of this shrill music, Aurangzeb banned it in the royal house. As it was made from a reed and produced noisy sounds, it became a generic name for “reeded noisemakers”.

3. How is a ‘shehnai’ different from a pungi?

Answer: Though a reeded instrument like a pungi, a shehnai differs from it in width and sound. It is made with a longer and broader stem than a pungi and produces soft, melodious sounds instead of the loud, jarring sound of a pungi.

4. Who revived the pungi and what shape did it take?

Answer: When Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence, a barber who belonged to a family of professional musicians revived it by taking a wider and longer hollow stem and making seven holes in it. The improved pungi produced soft and sweet sounds.

5. How did the ‘shehnai’ get its name?

Answer: It is believed that the barber (nai) who improved the pungi, played his instrument in the chamber of the emperor (shah). The c combination of the two words ‘shah’ and ‘nai’ formed the name ‘shehnai’.

6. Why was the shehnai played in temples and weddings?

Answer: The music of the shehnai was melodious and soft. It came to be believed that it was auspicious. Therefore, in the holy temples and on the happy auspicious occasions of weddings, the shehnai was played.

7. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change it?
Or
How did Bismillah Khan bring the ‘shehnai’ onto the classical stage?

Answer: Traditionally, the shehnai was played in the royal court as one of the nine instruments together known as naubat. Bismillah Khan made it an independent instrument and gave its music a place among other classical instrumental music.

8. Where did Bismillah Khan usually sing at the age of five? How was he rewarded and by whom?

Answer: At the age of five, Bismillah Khan usually sang the Bhojpuri ‘chaita a’ in the Bihariji temple in his native town Dumraon in Bihar. At the end of the song, he earned a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg which was given by the local Maharaja as a prize.

9. What does the feature “The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan”, tell us about the paternal ancestors of Bismillah Khan?
Or
What kind of family did Bismillah Khan hail from?

Answer: Bismillah Khan hailed from a family of musicians in Bihar. His grandfather Rasool Bux Khan was the shehnai player in the royal court of the king of Bhojpur. His father Paigambar Bux and many paternal and maternal uncles were also ‘shehnai vaadaks’ (players).

10. Who was Ali Bux? Where was he employed and what was his influence on Bismillah Khan?

Answer: Ali Bux was the maternal uncle of Bismillah Khan and may be regarded as his mentor and trainer. He was a great shehnai player and was employed to play the shehnai in the Vishnu temple of Benaras. At a very young age, Bismillah Khan started accompanying him and got lessons in playing the shehnai from him. The young boy would sit for hours listening to his uncle and later practise throughout the day.

11. Which places were young Bismillah Khan’s favourite haunts for practising music? Why?

Answer: The temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya, as well as the banks of the Ganga, were young Bismillah Khan’s favourite haunts because he could practice his music there in solitude. The flowing waters of Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent raagas which were earlier considered beyond the range of the shehnai.

12. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

Answer: The ‘big break’ came to Bismillah Khan when in 1938 the All India Radio was started in Lucknow. Khansaab was regularly invited to play the shehnai and soon became an often-heard shehnai player on the radio

13. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on August 15, 1947? Why was the event historic?

Answer: Bismillah Khan played the shehnai on August 15, 1947, at the Red Fort in New Delhi prior to the speech of Pandit Nehru. It was a historic event as India had got independence from the British on this day. Bismillah Khan was the first Indian to greet the nation and he poured his heart out while playing the melodious Raag Kafi on his shehnai.

14. Where did Bismillah Khan go on his first foreign trip? How was he honoured there?

Answer: Bismillah Khan’s first foreign trip took him to Afghanistan where King Zahir Shah was so impressed with the maestro’s shehnai recital that he honoured him with gifts of priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs.

15. Why did the film director Vijay Bhatt name his film “Gunj Uthi Shehnai“?

Answer: The film director, Vijay Bhatt, once heard the shehnai recital of Bismillah Khan in a festival. He was so fascinated by the performance that he decided to name his next film after the instrument and called it “Gun Uthi Shehnai“

16. Which films did Bismillah Khan provide music for? Why did he discontinue playing the shehnai for films?

Answer: Bismillah Khan ventured into the film world with Vijay Bhatt’s “Gunj Uthi Shehnai” . Then he played in a Kannada film – “Samadhi Apanna“. Though he was very successful, he gave up the film world because his tastes did not tune well with the artificiality and glamour of filmdom.

17. How was Bismillah Khan’s music appreciated and recognised on the international level?

Answer: Bismillah Khan’s music was so much appreciated on the international level that he became the first Indian to be invited to perform in the prestigious Lincoln Central Hall, USA. He participated in the World Exposition in Montreal, the Cannes Art Festival and the Osaka Trade Fair. In Teheran, an auditorium was named after him.

18. How did India honour and reward the great musician, Bismillah Khan?

Answer: India honoured Bismillah Khan by conferring on him the greatest national awards – the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. He was also awarded the Bharat Rama in 2001, the highest civilian award in India.

19. Why did Bismillah Khan want that the children in India should be taught music?

Answer: Bismillah Khan had great regard for Indian music and considered the Hindustani music to be its richest heritage. He wanted that children must not cut off their bond from this grand tradition which was fascinating even for the people of the west.

20. What offer did one of Bismillah Khan’s students in the US make to him? Why?

Answer: A student of Bismillah Khan, who himself was settled in the US, wanted that the great maestro should be the head of a shehnai school in the U.S. He promised that he would create the environment of India by erecting the temples like those in Benaras, India.

21. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?

Answer: Bismillah Khan was a staunch patriot and was passionately in love with Benaras and Dumraon in India. He intensely loved the Ganga and could not stay away from the sacred river. Therefore, he declined the offer to settle down in the US and head a shehnai school there.

22. Why does the author believe that Bismillah Khan’s life is “a perfect example of the rich, cultural heritage of India”?

Answer: India has always shown a liberal attitude to all communities and religions. Its cultural heritage is a blend of various castes and creeds. Bismillah Khan’s life perfectly represents this blend. Although a devout Muslim, Khansaab played the shehnai in the Kashi Vishwanath temple every morning.

23. Find instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loved India and Benaras.

Answer: Bismillah Khan’s love for India and Benaras is revealed by the fact that he refused to settle down in the US as the head of a shehnai school in spite of a strong assurance from his student to build temples like those in India. This love also becomes obvious in his acceptance speech after receiving the Bharat Ratna when he declared Hindustani music to be the richest heritage.

24. How did Evelyn sense the sounds and vibrations of the music?

Answer: Evelyn sensed the sounds and vibrations of the music by opening her mind and body to them. She felt different notes through different parts of her body.

25. What was the contribution of Forbes in helping Evelyn to learn music?

Answer: Forbes played a crucial role in shaping Evelyn’s musical talents. He asked her to sense the sounds and vibrations through her different body parts. He turned two large drums to different notes and asked her to feel the different notes and sounds some other way.

26. How was Evelyn a source of great pleasure to her audience?

Answer: Evelyn was very young. She performed despite her handicap. Her music was better than those of her double age. She was an inspiration to the handicapped. Thus, she has given enormous pleasure to millions.

27. How is Evelyn able to express music so beautifully?
Answer: Though deaf, Evelyn was able to express music beautifully as she could feel far more deeply than many of us. That is why she expressed music so beautifully.

28. How was Evelyn able to get admission to the Royal Academy of Music?

Answer: Ron Forbes spotted Evelyn’s potential in music. She never looked back from that point. By the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored the highest marks in the history of the academy.

29. Why does Evelyn remove her shoes on the wooden platform?

Answer: While playing instruments she removes shoes on the wooden platform. It allows the vibrations to pass through her bare feet and up to her legs. She is able to feel the music through every part of her body. She can also feel the echo of sound flowing into her body by leaning against the drums.

30. How did Ron Forbes give training in music to Evelyn?

Answer: He took two large drums for tuning Evelyn at once realised higher drums from the waist up and lower drums from the waist down. He motivated her to feel the music in different parts of her body.

31. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

Answer: With the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938, Bismillah Khan got a big break. He became an often-heard Shehnai player on Radio. When India got independence on 15th August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai.

32. Where did Bismillah Khan play the Shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?

Answer: Bismillah Khan played the Shehnai from the Red Fort on 15th August 1947. It was a historic event because he became the first Indian to greet the nation on the occasion of the first Independence Day. This programme was attended by Nehru, the first Prime Minister and many stalwarts of the nations.

33. What were the recurring themes of Bismillah Khan’s music?

Answer: Bismillah Khan was a true Indian at heart. The recurring themes of his music were the ethics of temples and human relationships. The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improve and invent `raagas’.

34. How was pungi came to be named Whehnai’?

Answer: A barber from a family of professional musicians decided to improve the pungi. He chose a pipe with a hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi. He played the instrument before the king and everyone was impressed. Since it was played by a barber, and in the Shah’s chambers, the instrument was named as ‘She/tile.

35. Bismillah Khan loved India and Benaras the most. Justify it by giving two instances from the text.

Answer: He was fond of Benaras and Dumraon. They remained for him the most wonderful towns in the world. He said that whenever he was in a foreign country, he kept yearning to see India. While in Mumbai, he thinks only of Benaras and the holy Ganga. And while in Benaras, he misses the unique mattha of Dumraon.

36. How did the barber change the tonal quality of a pungi into the melodious voice of the Shehnai?

Answer: The barber chose a pipe with a natural hollow-stem. It was longer and broader than `pungi’. He made seven holes on the body of the pipe. He played on it. Soft and melodious sounds were produced. The barber played it before the royalty and it came to be known as Shehnai.

37. How did Ustad Bismillah Khan bring Shehnai to the classical stage?

Answer: Bismillah Khan was a great Shehnai player. He invented many raagas and played them on Shehnai. His tunes enchanted everybody. Thus, Shehnai became a popular musical instrument in the country.

38. What idea did Ustad Bismillah Khan hold about Hindustani music?

Answer: He held a high about Hindustani music. He was of the opinion that every child should learn Hindustani music. India has a very rich tradition of music. Even the West come here to learn our music.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Write a note on the origin of the Shehnai.

Answer: It is said that in the past a musical instrument called pungi used to be played in palaces before the Kings and Nawabs. But Aurangzeb did not like the shrill and unpleasant sound of the pungi. So he banned the playing of this musical instrument in the royal residence. There was a barber who belonged to a family of musicians.He had access to the royal palace. He tried hard to improve the tonal quality of the instrument: Ile chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the original pungi. lie carved seven holes on the body of the instrument. When he played on it, an impressive sonorous tonal sound was produced. The barber played it before the king and his courtiers. Everybody was impressed. The instrument Was called Shehnai because it was born in the Shah’s chamber and was invented by a ‘nai’ (barber). There is another story about the origin of Shehnai. It is said that a doctor of Iran invented it. His name was I laquim Bu All Saina and the instrument was named after him.

2. What are the recurring themes of Bismillah Khan’s music and how did they originate?

Answer: At the age of flute, Bismillah Khan went to Benaras. Here his maternal uncle taught him the nuances of the Shehnai. the lie used to practice in the temple of Balaji and Mangla Maiya. He also practiced on the banks of the Ganga. There is practiced for hours in complete solitude. The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise his music. There he invented the ‘ragas’ that were earlier considered beyond the range of Shehnai. The atmosphere of the temple and the solitude of the banks of the Ganga had a great effect on him. They influenced the themes of his music also. One such theme was the ethos of the temple. The other theme was the relationship between human beings based on the tune of the flowing river. These became the recurring themes of Bismillah Khan’s music.

3. Why is Benaras so important to Bismillah Khan?

Answer: Mr Bismillah Khan is fondly called Khansaab. He has travelled all over the world. He got honours in every country. In Tehran, an auditorium was named after him. He has seen many cities, but he remains very fond of Benaras and Dumraon. He calls them the most wonderful towns in the world. He has a special fascination for Benaras because of the Ganga there. In his youth, he used to practice Shehnai in solitude on the banks of the Ganga. Once one of his students in the USA requested him to head a Shehnai school there. He said that he would recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by building similar temples there. But the Ustad asked him whether he would bring the Ganga also there. Once he said, “Whenever I am in Mumbai, I think of only Varanasi and the holy Ganga”.

4. Write a note on the life and achievements of Bismillah Khan as a ‘shehnai vaadak’. What values of life do you derive from his story?

Answer: Bismillah Khan’s journey as a ‘shehnai vaadak’ carries in itself deep moral values of dedication, simplicity, and patriotism. It started at the young age of three and continued up to the age of ninety. The journey ranged from playing the instrument in the temples to getting international fame.

Hailing from a family of musicians, Bismillah Khan inherited an interest in the shehnai. At a young age of three, he started accompanying his maternal Uncle Ali Bux to the Vishnu temple in Benaras and learned a lot from him. He would sing scriptures like the Bhojpuri chaita’.

Bismillah Khan got a significant break when he started playing for the All India Radio, Lucknow in 1938. His music was so admired that he was invited to play at the historic moment of Indian independence on 15 August 1947. In recognition of his talent, he was conferred upon with the greatest awards of India – the Padma shri, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 2001.

Bismillah Khan ventured into the film world but abandoned it after he found it to be too artificial and glamorous. On the international level, he mesmerized the King of Afghanistan with o his shehnai music. He was the only Indian to be invited to play shehnai in the Lincoln Central Hall, USA. He also played in international events like the World Exposition, Montreal, the Cannes Art Festival and the Osaka Trade Fair. As a token of appreciation, the Teheran government has named an auditorium after Bismillah Khan.

Bismillah Khan has a deep devotion to his motherland and is proud of its heritage of music. Hence, he declined the offer to settle down in foreign countries. F His journey teaches the values of dedication to one’s talent and persistent efforts to reach the greatest heights of excellence.

5. How does the author of The Sound of Music” portray Bismillah Khan as a great patriot?
Or
Bismillah Khan, on receiving the Bharat Ratna, remarked, “Teach your children music, this is Hindustan’s richest tradition; even the West is now coming to learn our music.” What does it reveal about his sentiments towards India?

Answer: Bismillah Khan, in “The Sound of Music”, emerged as a person imbued with intense and strong patriotic emotions. He had a profound and passionate love for his birthplace, Dumraon in Bihar and for Benaras where he took training to play the shehnai. He feels a deep bond with the Ganga because the flowing waters of the holy river made him improvise and spontaneously play new raagas – the ones which were earlier regarded to be beyond the range of the shehnai. Such was Bismillah Khan’s love for his country and the Ganga that he refused to settle down in America to head a-school for the shehnai. His strong attachment with the sacred river made him miss Banaras when he was in Mumbai or elsewhere. Equally strong was his bonding with his birthplace Dumraon.

Bismillah Khan had great regard for the Hindustani music which, for him, is the richest cultural heritage of India. He wanted the tradition of Indian music to be carried on from generation to generation. That is why he advised the people of India to teach music to their children and felt proud that this music fascinated even the people of the west.

6. 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?
Or
Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan shared the values of hard work and perseverance. Discuss.
Or
What important lesson does the life of Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan teach us?

Answer: Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan, the two eminent music maestros, through their achievements, have proved to the world that the values of hard work and unstaggering efforts are always rewarded. Evelyn Glennie became an internationally admired multi-percussionist only because of her untiring work which could conquer even her handicap. Instead of yielding to her deafness, she made all-out efforts to sense the sounds of music through different parts of her body and never looked back. With her persistent efforts, she made it to the Royal Academy of Music, London and bagged the most prestigious awards. Her sincere devotion to her art has given percussion a new place on the international stage.

Bismillah Khan, like Evelyn, was dedicated to his art and attained greatest heights as a ‘shehnai vaadak’. He too worked diligently and transformed the shehnai into a classical instrument. He added enormously to what he had inherited by widening the range of the shehnai. He invented many new raagas spontaneously. Starting with playing in the temples of Benaras and on the banks of Ganga, he reached the stage of international acclaim. His hard work enabled him to win the most prestigious awards in India and in the world.
Thus, the lives of both Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan are perfect examples of how dedicated efforts and persistent hard work lead to grand achievements.

7. Write a note on some of the most memorable performances of Ustad Bismillah Khan as described in the feature “The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan”.

Answer: During his illustrious career spanning over 80 years, Bismillah Khan gave countless music performances, but a few of them stand out as milestones in his career.
For example, his performance of the Bhojpuri ‘chaita’ at the Bihariji temple at the age of five indicated the signs of a maestro he was to evolve into. For every recital, he would get a 1.25 kg laddu as a reward from the local king. At the age of 14, he was patted for his performance at the Allahabad Music Conference by Ustad Faiyaz Khan. In 1938, Bismillah Khan got perhaps the biggest break of his career when he got to perform on the All India Radio, Lucknow. Equally remarkable was the opportunity to usher in the Independence of the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August 1947. His first foreign performance in Afghanistan got him rich accolades and honours. He also had the chance to provide music to two films – Vijay Bhatt’s “Gunj Uthi Shehnai” and Srinivas’s Kannada movie “Samadhi Apanna”. Then followed a string of international performances, notable among them being the performances at the prestigious Lincoln Centre Hall (USA), World Exposition (Montreal), Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade fair.

8. “Music has no religion.” How did Bismillah Khan’s Shehani prove it?

Answer: Music is the voice of the soul. It is sacred beyond the religions. It is eternal and acts as a source of inspiration for everyone. A musician never plays music for any particular religion. Bismillah Khan who belonged to the Muslim community played Shehnai in temples. He was deeply attached to the holy city of Benaras and the holy river Ganga. The river Ganga and its flowing water were the main source of inspiration for him. He could never think of leaving Benaras and holy river Ganga. Since his childhood, he was fond of music. As a five-year-old child, he used to visit Bihariji temple at Dumraon to sing Bhojpuri Chaita. His love for music was so deeply influenced by Benaras and Ganga that once a student from the USA wanted him to head a Shehnai school there. He promised him to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras in the USA by replicating the temple. But Bismillah Khan refused to say that he couldn’t take the Ganga there.

9. Describe the life and character of Ustad Bismillah Khan with emphasis on values of his character you should imbibe.

Answer: Ustad Bismillah Khan was a great Shehnai player. He was born in a village of Bihar state. He belonged to a family of professional musicians. He made Shehnai a famous musical instrument in the world. The government of India gave him the greatest civilian award —” Bharat Ratna”. He was a true patriot. He never showed his desire to settle abroad when he was offered several chances. Bismillah had a great passion for Shehnai. He took lessons from his maternal uncle Ali Bux and practiced hard on the peaceful banks of the river Ganga. Infect his life is motivating for students. He teaches them that human beings should give up narrow mindedness. They should take values from different religions.

10. Why did Emperor Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi and how it was improved and called Shehnai?

Answer: Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound. But a barber of a professional family of musicians was able to improve it. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi. He made seven holes on the body of the pipe. He played the instrument before the king and everyone was impressed. Since it was first played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by an’ (barber), the instrument was named the ‘Shehnai’

11. What important lesson does the life of Bismillah Khan teach us?

Answer: Bismillah Khan teaches us a very remarkable lesson of life. People make advancement in life by dint of hard work and devotion. He was very interested in music as he was born in the family of a musician. He used to sing Chaita in the Biharji temple. When he was in Benaras, he was greatly influenced by his maternal uncle, who was a great Shehnai player. He copied his uncle in the true spirit and practiced Shehnai in the peaceful environment of the Ganga. His hard work and devotion brought him good fruits. He was awarded the greatest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.