Photo: Robert Garfias / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Bismillah Khan is the kind of artist who humbles me. He took the shehnai, a reedy instrument once tied to weddings and temple courtyards, and elevated it into a vehicle for serious Hindustani classical music heard around the world. India honored him with the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but what moves me most is the singularity of his devotion: one man, one instrument, one lifelong conversation between the two. He passed in 2006, yet his sound endures. I deeply admire people who pour an entire life into a single, unglamorous calling and make it timeless.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bismillah Khan
- Name (Japanese)
- ビスミッラー・カーン
- Reading
- びすみっらー・かーん
- Born
- March 21, 1916 – August 21, 2006
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Dragon
- Origin
- Dumraon, Buxar district, India
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- Padma Bhushan
- Bharat Ratna
- Padma Shri in arts
- Padma Vibhushan
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://ustadbismillahkhan.com/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bismillah%20Khan
Frequently asked questions
When was Bismillah Khan born?
March 21, 1916 – August 21, 2006.
Where is Bismillah Khan from?
Bismillah Khan is from Dumraon, Buxar district, India.
What does Bismillah Khan do?
Bismillah Khan works as musician.
Musician — see all → · More people from India →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-20
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.