Varanasi loses artistes to Covid Sitar player Krishna Chakraborty, a Banaras Hindu University professor and former disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, died at a local hospital on April 21 At least half-a-dozen artistes have died of Covid in the past one month in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency and a centre of classical music, with the family of at least one alleging inadequate treatment in hospital. Sitar player Krishna Chakraborty, a Banaras Hindu University (BHU) professor and former disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, died at a local hospital on April 21. Theatre actor Pushpa Mishra died at the BHU hospital two days before Chakraborty.