Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan remembered on his death anniversary: NewspoinTV

The very thought of shehnai brings Ustad Bismillah Khan to the mind. Addressed as the Shehnai Maestro, he was one of the finest Indian classical musicians that India ever produced. Having played the shehnai for more than eight decades, he received national and international acclaim for his performances. The legend passed away on August 21, 2006 owing to an unfortunate cardiac arrest.

Here are a few facts about Ustadji, who single-handedly elevated the shehnai from an instrument played at weddings to one that took pride of place on a concert stage:

1) Bismillah Khan was born as Qamaruddin Khan on March 21, 1913 in Dumraon, Bihar. He was given this name to sound like his elder brother's name Shamsuddin

2) He started attending musical concerts from an early age but his religious faith soon became an obstacle in his path. Being a Shia Muslim by birth, where music is forbidden or considered 'haram', he started worshipping Goddess Saraswati just so he could adapt 'the seven swaras as his namaaz'

3) He received one of the rarest and most celebrated opportunities in 1947, when the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited him to come and perform live at the Red Fort in Delhi

4) Not limiting himself just to the Indian audience, Khan even performed for the global audience in the Cannes Art Festival, Osaka Trade Fair and World Exposition in Montreal

5) His foray into films began with him playing beautiful symphonies for 'Goonj Uthi Shehnai' in 1959, followed by the very popular 'Swades' soundtrack in 2004