Annapurna Devi No More
RBN Web Desk: Legendary Hindustani classical musician Annapurna Devi breathed her last in Mumbai early today morning. She was 91. Born as Roshanara Khan, she was named Annapurna by Maharaja Brijnath Singh of the former Maihar estate in Madhya Pradesh. She was one of the most prominent exponents of the Senia-Maihar gharana which was founded by her father Allauddin Khan.
A statement issued by the Breach Candy Hospital medical board, where she was under treatment, said that Annapurna Devi was suffering from several old age related complications.
One of the most respected musicians in India, Annapurna Devi was mentored by her father, and rose to prominence as a major sitar player in the forties and fifties. She was married to sitar maestro Ravi Shankar from 1941 to 1962. After their divorce, Ravi Shankar moved to the US and Annapurna Devi never took the stage again, though she continued to tutor students. A recluse, she mentored some of the doyens of Indian classical music over the decades. They include Aashish Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Bahadur Khan, Amit Bhattacharya, Basant Kabra and others.
