Bharat Ratna for Bhimsen Joshi

By nothing India is so rich, as by its classical music. It may sound an exaggeration. But it is the exaggeration of an essential truth.

The Indian government has now awarded Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award to Bhimsen Joshi. It is an award which should have come to him at least 20 years ago. He is one of the all-time greats of Hindustani classical music. He belongs to the league of the great vocalists Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Fayyaz Khan, Karim Khan, Sawai Gandharv, Gangubai Hangal, Jasraj, and Kishori Amonkar.

Born in 1920, Bhimsen Joshi learnt music at the feet of Sawai Gandharva in the true guru-shishya tradition of ancient India. Sawai Gandharva was another great name in Hindustani music that belonged to Kirana Gharana founded by the great vocalists Karim Khan and Abdul Waheed Khan. The range and mellifluousness of Joshi's voice is incredible. He has boundless stamina. His inimitable rendering of ragas haunts his countless admirers all the world over. He is a man of impeccable courtesy. People find it difficult to believe that such an eminent celebrity could be full of so much humility.

I had an opportunity of hearing him sing at Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi long ago. The raag Darbari rendered by him still haunts me like the memory of a sweet dream. It was a bravura performance. The range of his voice was unbelievably wide. His style was dazzling and his breath control simply out of this world.

His Bharat Ratna came to him in the evening of his life. But, as they say, it is better late than never.