Bharat Ratna for Vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi


November 04, 2008 23:10 IST
Last Updated: November 05, 2008 00:14 IST

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the legendary exponent of Hindustani classical music, was on Tuesday night chosen for the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award.

The honour for the 86-year-old vocalist, who belongs to 'kirna' gharana, caps a distinguished career spanning more than seven decades since he first performed at the age of 19.

This was after a gap of seven years that the government selected a performing artist for the highest award, the last previous recipient being shenai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

In fact, the last time a person was chosen for the honour was Khan.

'The President has been pleased to award the Bharat Ratna to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi,' a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said late Tuesday evening.

On being told about the award being conferred upon him, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi said, "I accept this honour on behalf of all Hindustani vocalists who have dedicated their life to music."

"I just talked to my father and he said he was glad and he accepts this honour on behalf of all Hindustani vocalists down the centuries who have dedicated their life to their music," said Srinivas Joshi.

Born in Gadag district of Karnataka on February 19, 1922, Joshi has already bagged several prestigious honours, including Padma Vibhushan in 1991, Padma Bhushan in 1985 and Padma Shri in 1972.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is the sixth person from the field of art and culture to get the Bharat Ratna award after Satyajit Ray, M S Subbulakshmi, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lata Mangeshkar and Ustad Bismillah Khan.

He is the second vocalist to get the highest civilian award after Subbulakshmi in 1998. I accept this honour on behalf of all vocalists: Bhimsen Joshi


http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/04ratna.htm

This is the 1st news i got early morning.... and felt really happy. I had the honour to meet him when i was on visit to Mumbai.. he was not keeping well and was on wheel chair at his Pune residence... but still readily agreed to meet us when my daughter's guruji requested him to, he is a disciple of Panditji... and that is one of the most cherished day of my life...to talk to the great man and hear him talk about music for full almost an hr........the whole meeting i still remember vividly.

He is a very simple person....very amicable and even on your first visit will make u feel as if he knows u so well... just wish i get another chance to meet him..



this one statement itself tells loads abt this great man....

This is definitely a great news!!! Really happy for him.. Hope many more people get their recognition..

Its a great news for music lovers. It was long overdue.

I heard that Ustad Bismillah Khan died in poverty and he could not aford his treatment for TB . When the news of his condition reached Govt, he was offered Rs 10 Lakh and he refused to accept it . He was in this condition because he never commercialised his art like Zakir Hussain and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

What is "value" of great Musicians? Is there any place for the likes of Ustad Bismillah Khan and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in this age of marketing and Remix?

Really a great news!!!!!!!!!

He should have been given this honour long back. I heard him once live during Spring Fest held at IIT. You forget everything happening around you when he is singing especially in live concert.

Wow gr88 news !!

Brilliant news!! Recogniton by the Indian Government finally!!

Great news!



One has so much to learn from these legends