9th class-cbse english(NCERT BOOK-Beehive)(long answers) Chapter-2(The sound of music)(Deborah Cowley) Partà 2(Bismillah Khan)

Answer following questions in about 100 words.

Q1)  Describe in brief the early life of Bismillah khan. What are the various awards that were conferred on him?

Ans1) Bismillah khan came from a very simple family background. His childhood passed in ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar. He went to Benaras at the age of six. Here he learned shehnai under his maternal uncle AliBux. He took Indian classical music all over the world. Bismillah khan started winning awards from the age of fourteen. He got the best performance awards at the Indian Music conference in Allahabad and three medals at music conference in 1947. On the first Independence Day he greeted the nation with Shehnai. He was also honored in Montréal and Osaka. In Tehran an auditorium was named after him. Highest civilian award Bharat Ratna was conferred on him.

Q2) What is the Ustad Bismillah khan’s contribution to the development of Shehnai?

Ans2)Bismillah khan was introduced to Shehnai at the early age of six by his  maternal uncle Ali bux .With his hardwork and dedication he popularized Shehnai and brought to the classical stage. Ustad Bismillah khan get recognition in the world of Music at national and international level. He invented ragas on the shehnai. His themes were related to ethos of temples and human relations.  He turned these themes into ragas on the bank of the flowing river Ganga. He was fascinated by the beauty and serenity of holy Ganga. He told that the flowing water of holy river Ganga helped him to create many ‘ragaas’ through his shehnai.

Q3) Why does Benaras hold so much importance to Bismillah khan?

Ans3) Bismillah khan went to Benaras at the age of six. His maternal uncle Ali bux played shehnai at the Vishnu temple of varanasi. He introduced him to the shehnai. Temples of Benaras and flowing water of Ganga played very important role in his life. Bismillah khan sat captivated for hours at temples to listen the music. He spent his many years at the temples of Balaji and Mangla Maiya. Thus these were the training centres for learning the shehnai. Ganga at Benaras had deep impression on him. Throughout his life he was attached to Benaras and the Ganga. He never wanted to leave the banks of Ganga and live in a foreign country.