Renowned pakhawaj player Pandit Bhavani Shankar dies

Pandit Bhavani Shankar, renowned as the Pakhawaj maestro, passed away yesterday (December 30). His family has officially confirmed the news and notified that his 'rasam kriya' (Hindu rituals after death) is scheduled to take place on December 31, starting from 12 pm in Borivali.

Shankar had just concluded a program on December 26 when he started experiencing difficulty breathing. He was promptly taken to the hospital, where treatment commenced. Unfortunately, his organs, including his kidneys, gradually ceased functioning, leading to the necessity of placing him on a ventilator. He breathed his last on Saturday afternoon.

Vocalist Soma Ghosh paid tribute to Bhawani Shankar, stating to ETimes, "Bhavani Shankar ji is synonymous with the 'Pakhawaj,' much like Ust Bismillah Khan was with the 'Shehnai.'"

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"I had the good fortune of working with him when we worked on the one and only bhajan album 'Aradhana', composed by the Shehnai Legend, Bharat Ratna Ust Bismillah Khan. Recently, last month, I met Bhawani ji again and later he called me a number of times, saying that we have to work again on a project! I guess this one last wish will remain unfulfilled. The world will miss this warm-hearted maestro - Rest in peace dear Bhawani Shankar ji," she expressed

Shankar, born into a musical family, initiated his study of pakhawaj and tabla at the young age of eight. Throughout his career, he collaborated with various Indian artists, including bansuri player Hariprasad Chaurasia, santoor player Shiv Kumar Sharma, and tabla players Zakir Hussain and Anindo Chatterjee. His early exposure to pakhawaj was influenced by his father, the renowned Kathak performer Babulalji.