The man who mesmerised generations of Indians with his melodious music is no more.

Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan died of cardiac arrest in the wee hours of Monday.

The third classical musician after Pandit Ravi Shankar and M S Subbulakshmi to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, Khan strove to defy prejudice and convention in regard to shehnai. He fought to win a place of dignity and honour for the instrument he loved.

The Ustad played the shehnai not in keeping with the grammar of music, but with its poetry. His concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb. What is remarkable is that he kept performing, until the very end.

Where others saw conflict and contradiction between his music and his religion, Bismillah Khan saw only divine unity. A devout Shia, he was also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music and learning.

During his long and fruitful career as an artiste, Khan enthralled audiences at performances across the globe. He was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, the Tansen award as well as the Padma Vibhushan.

His contribution to Indian music will live on forever.

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