9 interesting facts about Pandit Kishan Maharaj on his 7th death anniversary

The person who can be regarded the 'doyen' of tabla of the modern era, is none other than Pt. Kishan Mahaharaj. Born into a family of trained musicians of the Benares Gharana, he was introduced to Hindustani Classical music by his father Hari Maharaj who passed away when Kishanji was very young. He was further trained by his uncle, Kanthe Maharaj, whose guidance turned him into one of the most terrific and outstanding tabla players of the era. His performances mesmerised the audience so much, that his 'bols' and 'taals' resonated in the souls of his listeners, leaving them transfixed.

He was a close friend of Pt. Ravi Shankar, who he accompanied many times. Panditji also shared the stage with many stalwarts of his time including Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustaad Vilayat Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, Girija Devi. Birju Maharaj to name a few.

He passed away on this day on the May 4, 2008. Presenting below is 9 interesting facts about him:

• He was born amongst the most famous families of Benares who have produced generations of talented musicians

• Under the guidance of his uncle, Kanthe Maharaj, he started performing from a very tender age of 10

• In most of his performances, he used to don the big red 'Tika', on the centre of his forehead, a trademark style of the Benares Gharana

• He used to sit in a very special position on his knees, instead of the regular tabla player's sitting position

• He was a very handsome, good-looking person and used to get compliments from audiences as well as from maestros

• Kishanji was a very versatile musician, he could play all sorts of percussion instruments like pakhawaj, mridangam, dhol, etc. He was able to play the sitar and sarod also and could sing as well as dance

• Amongst his famous compositions is the 'Taal Vadya Kacheri' with another Mridangam Vidwan Palghat R. Raju

• Maharaj has played in many parts of the world and in prestigious events and occasions like the Edinburgh Festival and the Commonwealth Arts Festival, United Kingdom in 1965

• The Government of India conferred him with the Padma Shri in 1973 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2002

• Pt. Ravi Shankar describes him saying, he was a very good painter, sculptor, poet and had a jolly nature

With the demise of Pt. Kishan Mahaharaj, came an end of a scintillating era of great music. He has influenced many tabla exponents of today like Ustaad Zakir Hussain, Kumar Bose, Bickram Ghosh and Anindo Chattopadhyay who acknowledge his immense contribution to Indian classical music.