A young Shiv Kumar Sharma resisted the 100-string instrument his father brought to him one day. But Uma Dutt Sharma, who hailed from a family of priests and was a classical musician himself, said santoor would make him go down in history. And it did. Shiv became the first musician to play Hindustani
Nonika Singh
He epitomised dance in every pore of his being. Kathak doyen Brij Mohan Nath Mishra, popularly known as Pandit Birju Maharaj, an exponent of the Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Lucknow and rec
Birju Maharaj lived as he died. He grew up with the ghungroo, tabla and harmonium striking rhythms of harmony and as took his last breath in the early hours of Monday his home was quite fittingly alive with the sound of music this time old songs he so loved.
He romanced Kathak like few others ever did, his mastery over the classical dance form writing him into lasting fame as one of India's greatest performing artistes.