Photo: Markgoff2972 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
To me, Ravi Shankar was the great bridge that opened Indian classical music to the world. Born in sacred Varanasi, he mastered the sitar so completely that he could mentor a Beatle and still command the awe of purists. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and Japan's Praemium Imperiale only confirm what his music already proved: that he carried an Eastern spiritual sensibility into Western ears without diluting it. He passed in 2012 at ninety-two, yet his meditative ragas still ring out everywhere. I find myself wanting to sit upright and simply listen, which is the mark of a true master.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ravi Shankar
- Name (Japanese)
- ラヴィ・シャンカル
- Reading
- らゔぃ・しゃんかる
- Born
- April 7, 1920 – December 11, 2012
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Monkey
- Origin
- Varanasi, Varanasi district, India
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / sitarist / film director / politician / conductor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- 1992 Ramon Magsaysay Award
- 2013 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Banga Bibhushan
- 1997 Praemium Imperiale
- James Parks Morton Interfaith Award
- 1962 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ravi Shankar born?
April 7, 1920 – December 11, 2012.
Where is Ravi Shankar from?
Ravi Shankar is from Varanasi, Varanasi district, India.
What does Ravi Shankar do?
Ravi Shankar works as composer, sitarist, film director, politician, conductor.
Composer — see all → · More people from India →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
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.