Pandit Ravi Shankar, Details, Early Life, Honours, Awards

Pandit Ravi Shankar was a famous Indian classical musician and sitar player. He is known for spreading Indian classical music to the international stage.

About Pandit Ravi Shankar

• Pandit Ravi Shankar was one of the greatest sitar players and composers of Indian classical music. He was born on 7 April 1920 in Varanasi. His original name was Ravindra Shankar Chowdhury.
• His father was Shyam Shankar Chowdhury and mother was Hemangini Devi and he was their seventh son.
• In his early years, he travelled with his brother’s dance group, but later he left dancing to learn Indian classical music. 
• He received training under the famous guru Ustad Allauddin Khan in Maihar. After completing his training, he started performing and soon became well known in India and abroad.
• He worked as the Music Director of All India Radio (1949–1956) and composed music for films, including those of Satyajit Ray. In the 1960s, he became popular in Western countries and collaborated with international artists like Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of The Beatles.
• Due to his efforts, Indian classical music gained global recognition, and George Harrison called him the “Godfather of World Music.”
• At the age of 25, he recomposed the famous song “Saare Jahan Se Achcha”. . 
• He was also nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1992. Pandit Ravi Shankar passed away on 11 December 2012 at the age of 92.

Pandit Ravi Shankar’s Honours and Awards

• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1999, which is India’s highest civilian honour.
• He received the Padma Bhushan in 1967 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1981 for his exceptional contribution to music.
• In 1986, he was honoured with the Kalidas Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh for excellence in classical music.
• He was given the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, the highest recognition for performing artists in India.
• In 1992, he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his contribution to art and culture.
• In 1999, he was appointed as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for his contribution to world culture.
• He wrote two autobiographies: My Life, My Music (1969) and Raga Mala (1999).

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About Sitar

• Tata Vadya are stringed musical instruments in which sound is produced by the vibration of stretched strings. The strings are either plucked or played with a bow. The pitch of the sound depends on the length and tightness of the string.
• The sitar is one of the most famous Indian string instruments. It has a long neck, a large gourd-shaped body, and extra sympathetic strings that create a rich sound. It is mainly used in Hindustani classical music of North India and is often played as a solo instrument along with the tanpura (for background drone) and tabla (for rhythm). It is also used in Kathak dance performances.
• There are different views about its origin. Some scholars believe it has Persian influence because the word “sitar” is similar to the Persian word sehtar, meaning a three-stringed instrument. Others think it developed from Central Asian instruments or from the Indian veena. 
• The sitar became popular between the 16th and 18th centuries and later gained worldwide recognition. Gained global recognition in the 20th century through musicians like Pandit Ravi Shankar.