Click to play videoPune: The Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav, which started on Thursday in Pune, saw Ustad Shailesh Bhagwat paying tribute to his guru Ustad Bismillah Khan.
In fact, the mahotsav was inaugurated with shehnai performances. But Ustad Bismillah Khan's disciples feel that the magic created by the maestro with his shehnai is difficult to replicate.
"My Guru's blessings are always there. But there should be someone determined to carry on the tradition," Ustad Bhagwat, a shehnai exponent, said.
Every year, thousands of spectators witness the beautiful expression of musical harmony at the event.
However, this time, the experience will be incomplete with the absence of the man who could translate the sweet sound of the shehnai into an unforgettable experience—Ustad Bismillah Khan.
"I have been coming to the festival in Pune for the past 20 years. God made Ustad Bismilah Khan just to play the shehnai. Nobody can play shehnai the way he did. Even his disciples, who have practised hard, cannot match up to the maestro," says Prahlad Mannari, a spectator.
Executive Secretary of Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, Shrikant Deshpande, said, "Earlier shehnai had great importance. But now, it is only a starter in the concert."
It has been three months since the demise of Ustad Bismillah Khan. But shehnai lovers still miss the maestro's magic.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.