Who Invented the Shehnai? Learn About Bismillah Khan

Where did Bismillah Khan perform Raag Kafi?

Who was present in the audience when Bismillah Khan performed at the Red Fort?

Where did Bismillah Khan receive priceless Persian carpets and souvenirs?

Which film director was impressed by Bismillah Khan's music?

What was the name of the instrument named after Bismillah Khan's festival?

At what age did Bismillah start accompanying his uncle to the Vishnu temple of Benaras?

Where did Bismillah Khan get his first lessons in playing the shehnai?

Who patted Bismillah Khan's back and encouraged him with the words, 'Work hard and you shall make it'?

Which river inspired Bismillah Khan to improvise and invent raagas?

In which year did Bismillah Khan become the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai on Independence Day?

Where did Bismillah Khan become an often-heard shehnai player on the radio?

Early Life and Music

At the age of three, Ustad Bismillah Khan started showing interest in music when his mother took him to his maternal uncle's house in Benaras (now Varanasi).
He was fascinated by his uncles practising the shehnai, and soon started accompanying his uncle, Ali Bux, to the Vishnu temple of Benaras where Bux was employed to play the shehnai.

Early Training

Bismillah started taking lessons in playing the shehnai and would sit practising throughout the day.
He would often practise in solitude at the temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya and the banks of the Ganga, which inspired him to improvise and invent raagas.

Career Breakthrough

At the age of 14, Bismillah accompanied his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference, where Ustad Faiyaz Khan encouraged him to work hard and make a name for himself.
In 1938, with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow, Bismillah became a regular shehnai player on radio.

Notable Performances

On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai, playing Raag Kafi from the Red Fort to an audience including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
He performed at a festival and named a film after the instrument, Gunj Uthi Shehnai.
Bismillah Khan has given many memorable performances both in India and abroad, including his first trip abroad to Afghanistan, where King Zahir Shah gifted him priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs.
He also performed for film director Vijay Bhatt, who was impressed by his music.

Learn about the early life and musical journey of Bismillah Khan, an Indian shehnai maestro who started playing the instrument at a young age. Discover how he began his musical education by accompanying his uncle to the Vishnu temple in Benaras.