Surprising Facts About The Unparalleled Music Legend, Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi

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The 98th birth anniversary of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was celebrated with fanfare and verve on this February 4, 2023. Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born on February 4, 1922, at Gadag , Karnataka. He had this rare impressive personality that drew his fans like magnet and evinced die-hard admiration from his critics. He had an illustrious name and achievements which he left as a legacy for any interested learner but unfortunately no one has yet beaten or even equalled his record. He had carved for himself a legendary path in the divine world of music. He was hailed as a God Of music who was famous for his Khayal form of singing. Till now, the world of music has not found anyone to continue from where he had stopped.

1. He was born as Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi as the eldest of 16 children in a Kannada Madhwa family and raised by stepmother very early in his life. His parents were Gururaj Joshi and Godavaribai.

2. He had this habit of following processions and bands which led him to visit new places with them. Finally police had to bring him back home after a thorough search,

3. His first teacher was a Channappa, a student of the legendary singer Inayat Khan.

4. He chose music as his life and career when he heard for the first time, the thumri of Abdul Karim Khan" Piya Bin Nahi Aavat Hai Chain"

5. He left his home and wandered for three years in search of a guru when he finally tracked down by his father who got him back to Dharwar, his hometown. Bhimsen Joshi found Sawai Gandharva in 1936, in Dharwar, who finally accepted him as his student. He stayed in his guru's house, and followed the guru shishya Parampara to the hilt.

6. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was only 19, when he performed his first concert. A year after that, his first album was released. He then moved to Bombay and worked as an artist where he found life changing opportunities.

t was Guru Sawai Gandharva's 60th birthday celebration concert which catapulted him to the topmost notch of celebrated artists. He was a purist who never swerved from the path of Kirana gharanas.

7. Subsequently he received the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puruskar, Maharashtra Bhushan, Swathi Sangeetha Puruskaram by Kerala Government Karnataka Ratna in 2005, Swami Haridas Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of Delhi in 2009 and the S V Narayanaswamy Rao National Award by Rama Sewa Mandali of Bangalore in 2010, an year before his demise.

8. He had two wives, one of whom moved away from him and settled in Bombay with her children.

9. One day, he gulped more than 16 chillies down his throat to ease his cough and cold as he had to deliver a performance which he did not want to cancel.

10. This musical stalwart also had hobbies and he enjoyed swimming, yoga and football.

11. His favourite ragas were Shuddha Kalyan, Puriya Dhanashri, Multani, Miyan Ki Todi, Bhimpalasi, and Ramkali.

12. He was the robust voice behind the full-throated song 'Miley Sur Mera Tumhara' music. He was also seen in AR. Rahman's video for 50th Indian Republic Day celebration.

13. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has also sung in many movies such as Basant Bahar Tansen and Ankahee and so on.

14. Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was awarded top including Padma Shri (1972), Padma Bhushan (1985), Padma Vibhushan (1999), and Bharat Ratna (2008).

15. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was the first Indian musician whose posters were displayed all over New York, and he performed maximum number of times there,

16. King of Afghanistan himself invited Pandit Bhimsen Joshi to perform in his country.

17. Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship - the highest honour for Music, Dance, and Drama - in 1998.

18. On the last day of the year 2010, he was admitted for severe gastrointestinal bleeding and pneumonia. He was put on vent but succumbed to his illness a few days later on January 24 2011. His repertoire was unmatched and his rich sonorous voice unparalleled.