Why this matters now
Bismillah Khan is the third musician to receive the Bharat Ratna (after M.S. Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar). Tested for: his playing at the Red Fort on 15 August 1947, his life-long association with the Ganga ghats of Varanasi, his communal harmony (a Shia Muslim who began every concert with an obeisance to Saraswati and Kashi Vishwanath), and the Bharat Ratna honour.
Early life: Dumraon to Kashi
Born Qamruddin Khan on 21 March 1916 in Dumraon (Bhojpuri belt of Bihar) to a family of musicians serving the Dumraon Maharajas, he was renamed “Bismillah” (In the name of God) by his grandfather. After his uncle Ali Bux took charge of his training at age 6, he moved with him to Varanasi. From age 14 he played daily at the Vishwanath Temple, Balaji Temple and Mangla Maiya Mandir in Varanasi, while also revering the Bismillah and Dargah traditions.
Red Fort (15 August 1947) and concert career
Bismillah Khan was invited by PM Nehru to play the shehnai at the first independence-day flag hoisting at the Red Fort on 15 August 1947. He repeated the performance on multiple Republic Days. His concert tours took him to:
- The 1959 Edinburgh International Festival — the first major Western tour of an Indian classical wind musician.
- Kabul, Lahore, Karachi (his Pakistan tour was personal, declined by some commentators in light of his Indian patriotism).
- Carnegie Hall, the Cannes Film Festival 1966.
- Sangam at Allahabad (Triveni Sangam playing concerts since 1937).
Bismillah Khan refused to leave Varanasi even when offered a US Green Card and a luxury home in the US. “I cannot live without the Ganga. Why should I leave?”
Honours and legacy
Padma Shri 1961, Padma Bhushan 1968, Padma Vibhushan 1980, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1956, Bharat Ratna 2001. He had eight children and 60 family members dependent on him; lived in a modest house at Banaras’s Beniya Bagh till his death on 21 August 2006 aged 90. He was buried at Fatemain Cemetery with full state honours. India Post stamp 2007.
UPSC angle
Know Ustad Bismillah Khan (b. Qamruddin Khan, Dumraon Bhojpur Bihar 21 March 1916, d. Varanasi 21 August 2006) — shehnai maestro; trained by uncle Ali Bux from age 6 in Varanasi; daily playing at Vishwanath Temple/Balaji Temple/Mangla Maiya Mandir; invited by Nehru to play first Independence Day flag hoisting Red Fort 15 August 1947; Edinburgh Festival 1959 first major Western tour; refused US Green Card “cannot live without Ganga”; honours: Padma Shri 1961, Padma Bhushan 1968, Padma Vibhushan 1980, Sangeet Natak Akademi 1956, BHARAT RATNA 2001 (3rd musician after M.S. Subbulakshmi 1998 + Ravi Shankar 1999); buried Fatemain Cemetery state honours.
Frequently asked questions
Where did Bismillah Khan play on 15 August 1947?
At the Red Fort, where he was invited by PM Nehru to perform the shehnai during the first independence-day flag hoisting.
What was his original name?
Qamruddin Khan — renamed “Bismillah” (in the name of God) by his grandfather.
Where did Bismillah Khan live?
In Varanasi, from age 6 until his death in 2006 — refusing to leave the Ganga even when offered foreign residency.
When was he awarded the Bharat Ratna?
In 2001 — the third Indian musician to receive it.