New Delhi: On the 102nd birth anniversary of the legendary Shenai Ustad, Bismillah Khan, renowned sand artist from Bhubaneswar, Sudarsan Pattnaik paid a heartfelt sand art tribute to the maestro at Puri beach, Odisha.


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Pattnaik shared the picture on Twitter and wrote, “Tributes to the great soul Bharat Ratna Ustad #BismillahKhan ,on occasion of his birth anniversary. One of my SandArts.”



Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan is credited with making the instrument popular internationally and not just in the country. He was awarded the country's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001. He was the third classical musician after MS Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar to be accorded this distinction.


The maestro was born in a family of traditional Muslim musicians in Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, Dumraon on March 21, 1916. He was originally named Qamruddin at birth but when his grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan exclaimed 'Bismillah', Ustad then came to be known by this name. At six, Ustad moved to Varanasi and received his training under uncle, the late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple.


Ustad breathed his last on August 21, 2006, at the age of 90.