Renowned Hindustani classical musician Annapurna Devi died on Saturday in Mumbai at the age of 91. Devi had been suffering from various health problems owing to her old age.
Born in Maihar town in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh in 1927, Devi was trained by Ustad ‘Baba’ Allauddin Khan, her father. “She remained a recluse for most of her life – much of her time was dedicated to teaching a small though select group of students,” a press release by the Annapurna Devi Foundation said. Among her famous students were Aashish Khan (sarod), Amit Bhattacharya (sarod), Bahadur Khan (sarod), Basant Kabra (sarod), Hariprasad Chaurasia (bansuri), Jotin Bhattacharya (sarod), among others, it added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered her condolences to Devi’s family and admirers. “Saddened at the passing away of Annapurna Devi, the founder of Maihar Gharana,” she tweeted. “My condolences to her family and admirers.”
Annapurna Devi was married to sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, and had a son, Shubhendra Shankar, who died in 1992. In 1988, she married Rooshikumar Pandya, a management consultant, the press release said.
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