Summary of The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan (The Sound of Music) Class 9 Beehive

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This chapter tells us about the origin of the Indian musical instrument Shehnai. It also gives the life history of the great Shehnai player, Bismillah Khan. It is said that in the past a musical instrument called pungi used to be played in palaces before the kings and Nawabs. But Aurangzeb did not like the shrill and unpleasant sound of the pungi. So he banned the playing of this musical instrument in the royal residence.

There was a barber who belonged to a family of musicians. He had access to the royal palace. He tried hard to improve the tonal quality of the instrument. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the original pungi. He carved seven holes on the body of the instrument. When he played on it, an impressive sonorous tonal sound was produced. The barber played it before the king and his courtiers. Everybody was impressed. [the instrument was called Shehnai because it was born in the Shah’s chamber and was invented by a Mar (barber).

There is another story about the origin of Shehnai. The original Shehnai players were mostly employed in temples. They played the Shehnai before the images at various times of the day. It was also played on North Indian wedding and every auspicious occasion. Gradually, the Shehnai became very popular. Ustad Bismillah Khan is the greatest Shehnai player. He belongs to the Benaras Gharana of Hindustani Music. He was born at Dumraon in Bihar. lie belonged to a family of professional Shehnai players. As a five-year-old boy, Bismillah Khan used to play gill i-danda near a pond in Dumraon. After playing the generally went to a nearby temple called Bihariji Temple. a lie would sit there and sing the Bhojpuri chaita’. The local Maha-raja was pleased to hear him sing. At the age of three, he went to Benaras. There his maternal uncle All Bux taught him the art of playing Shehnai.

For hours, he would practice in the temples of Balaji and Mangala Maiya. He would also go to the bank of Ganga mid practice in solitude. Even as a child, Bismillah Khan won many awards. He got his first big award when he was only 14 years old. He got it at the All India Music Conference in Allahabad. On the day of independence, 15th August 1947, he played at the Red Fort at the request of Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1999, lie was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country. Bismillah Khan is fondly called Khansaab. He has travelled all over the world. Ile got honours in every country, In Tehran, an auditorium was named after him. a lie has seen many cities, but he remains very fond of Benaras and Duntraon. He calls them the most wonderful towns in the world. He has a special fascination for Benaras because of the Ganga there. In his youth, he used to practice Shehnai in solitude on the banks of the Ganga. Once one of his students in the USA requested him to head a Shehnai school there. He said that he would recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by building similar temples there. But the Ustad asked him whether he would bring the Ganga also there. Once he said, “Whenever 1 is in Mumbai. I think of only Varanasi and the holy Ganga”. And while in Varanasi, I miss the unique “mattha in Dumraon”.

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• Bismillah Khan was a great Shehnai Player. He belonged to a family of professional musicians.
• He was attracted towards Shehnai at the age of three and with his hard work he brought it on to the classical stage.
• Pungi a musical instrument was banned by Emperor Aurangzeb for its shrill, unpleasant sound.
• A barber of a family of musicians decided to improve the tonal quality of pungi. He took a hollow pipe longer than pungi and made seven holes on it. When he played on it, sweet and soft sounds were produced. Since it was played in the Shah’s Chamber and was Played by a Nai (barber), it was named Shehnai.
• The sound of Shehnai is considered auspicious. The Shehnai was part of the Warble (a group of nine traditional musical instruments) found in the royal courts. It was played only in temples and weddings.
• listed Bismillah Khan invented many raagas and played them on Shehnai.
• Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916, in a musician family of Rasool Bux Khan Father Paigamber Bin was also great Shehnai player.
• His maternal uncle Ali Bux gave him Shehnai lessons. He practiced playing Shehnai’ at Balaji and Mangla Maiya Temple and on the bank of river Ganga.
• At the age of 14, he played Shehnai with his uncle at Allahabad Music Conference and I was appreciated by Ustad Faiyaz Khan.
• Bismillah Khan was the first Indian to greet the nation, with his Shehnai on 15th August 1947 in Raag Kafi.
• Film director Vijay Bhatt named a film `Gunj Uthi Shehnai’. Bismillah Khan composed a hit song “Dil Ka Khilona Hai Toot Gaya.

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Ustad Bismillah Khan: He was a great Shehnai player. His contribution to Shehnai will always be remembered. From his very childhood, he was a great learner. He watched his maternal uncle Ali Bux at Benaras and learned the lessons of Shehnai from him. As he was dedicated to Shehnai, he practiced for hours on the peaceful bank of Ganga in Benaras. He developed different varieties of Hindustani ragas and became popular. He was unable to forget the Ganga, Benaras and the Mattha of Dumraon. He had visited several countries but never tried to settle there. He got the opportunity to celebrate the Independence of India by playing Shehnai on the ramparts of the Lal Quila. His music really moved the country. Finally, he was given the highest civilian award — the Bharat Ratna.

Ali Bux: He was the maternal uncle of Ustad Bismillah Khan. Like a true teacher, he peacefully gave Bismillah the lessons of Shehnai. Bux was a hard-working Shehnai player. He used to practice playing Shehnai for hours. The great quality of his character was that he had no difference between religions. He was employed as the Shehnai player in the Vishnu temple of Benaras. Here he tried to please Lord Vishnu with the charming music of Shehnai. His character was very influencing. He taught Bismillah the importance of constant practice and dedication of work.

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यह पाठ हमेँ भारतीय वाद्ययंत्र शहनाई की उत्पत्ति के बारे में बताता है । यह महान शहनाई वादक बिस्मिल्ला खान के जीवन इतिहास के बारे में भी बताता है ।

ऐसा कहा जाता है कि अतीत में पुंगी नामक एक वाद्ययंत्र महलों में राजाओं और नवाबों के सामने बजाया जाता था । मगर औरंगजेब को पुंगी की तीखी एवं अप्रिय आवाज अच्छी नहीं लगती थी । इसलिए उसने शाही निवास मेँ इस वाद्ययंत्र के बजाए जाने पर रोक लगा दी । एक नाई था जो संगीतकारों के एक परिवार से संबध रखता था । उसकी पहुंच शाही महल तक थी । उसने इस वाद्ययंत्र को सुधारने की कड़ी कोशिश की । उसने एक ऐसी लकडी की पाईप ली जो मूलभूत पुंगी से अधिक लंबी एवं अधिक चौड़ी थी । उसने उस वाद्ययंत्र पर सात सुराख किए । जब उसने इसे बजाया तो एक प्रभाव शाली धुन वाली आबाज़ पैदा हो गई ।

नाई ने इसे राजा एवं दरबारियों के सामने बजाया । हर व्यक्ति प्रभावित हुआ । वाद्ययंत्र को शहनाई कहा गया, क्योंकि इसे शाह के कमरे में बजाया गया था और इसका आविष्कार एक ‘नाई‘ ने किया था ।

आरंभिक शहनाई वादकों को आमतौर पर मंदिरों में नियुक्त किया जाता था । वे दिन में कई बार मूर्तियों के सामने शहनाई बजाया करते थे । इसे उत्तर भारतीय शादी में तथा हर शुभ अवसर पर भी बजाया जाता था । धीरे – धीरे,शहनाई बडी प्रसिदूध हो गई ।

उस्ताद बिस्मिल्ला खान महानतम शहनाई वादक हैं । वे हिंदुस्थानी संगीत के वनारस घराने से संबध रखते हैँ । उनका जन्म बिहार में दुमराओं के स्थान पर हुआ । वे पेशेवर शहनाई वादकों के परिवारों से संबंध रखते है । पांच साल के बच्चे के रूप में

बिस्मिल्ला खान दुमराओं में एक तालाब के पास गिल्ली-डंडा खेला करते थे । खेलने के बाद वे आमतौर पर निकट एक मंदिर जिसे बिहारी जी का मंदिर कहते हैं जाया करते थे । वे यहाँ बैठते और भोजपुरी ‘चेता‘ गाया करते थे । स्थानीय महाराजा को उसे गाता सुनकर बड़ी खुशी होती थी । तीन साल की उम्र में ,वे बनारस गए । वहाँ उनके मामा अली बक्श ने उन्हें शहनाई बजाना सिखाया । वे बालाजी और मंगल मैय्या के मंदिरों मेँ घंटों अभ्यास कर ते रहते थे । वे गंगा किनारे भी जाते थे और एकांत में अभ्यास करते थे । बचपन में ही, बिस्मिल्ला खान ने कई पुरस्कार जीते । उन्हें अपना पहला इनाम तब मिला जब वे चौदह बर्ष के थे । उन्हें यह इनाम इलाहाबाद में अखिल भारतीय संगीत सभा मेँ मिला । पंद्रह अगस्त, 1947 को आजादी के दिन उन्होंने जवाहरलाल नेहरु के अनुरोध पर लाल किले पर शहनाई बजाई । 1999 में उन्हें देश का सबसे बडा नागरिक पुरस्कार ‘भारत रत्न‘ प्रदान किया गया ।

बिस्मिल्ला खान को प्यार से खान साहिब कहा जाता है । उन्होंने पूरे विश्व का भ्रमण किया है । उन्हें हर देश मेँ सम्मान मिला है । तेहरान मेँ, एक ऑडीटोरियम का नाम उनके नाम पर रखा गया है । उन्होंने वहुत से देश देखे हैं, मगर उन्हें सदा बनारस और दुमराओं से प्यार रहा है । वे उन्हें विश्व का सबसे आश्चर्यजनक शहर मानते हैँ । उन्हें बनारस से विशष लगाव है, क्योंकि वहाँ पर गंगा है । अपनी जवानी में , वे गंगा के किनारे एकांत में शहनाई का अभ्यास किया करते थे । एक बार अमेरिका में उनके एक छात्र ने उनसे अनुरोध किया कि वे यहाँ के शहनाई स्कूल के मुखिया बने ।उन्होंने कहा कि वे वहॉ बनारस जैसे मंदिर बनाकर वहाँ के वातावरण का पुननिर्माण करेंगे । मगर उस्ताद ने उनसे पूछा कि क्या वे वहां पर गंगा ला सकते है ।एक बार उन्होनें कहा,जब भी मैं मुंबई में होता हूँ तो मैं वाराणसी एवं पवित्र गंगा के बारे में सोचता हूँ और जब मै वाराणसी में होता तो मुझे दुमराओ के विचित्र (लस्सी) की याद आती है ।