Annapurna Devi facts for kids

Annapurna Devi (IAST: Annapūrṇā Devi; 1927–13 October 2018) was a very talented Indian musician. She played the surbahar, which is a large string instrument similar to a bass sitar. She was a master of Hindustani classical music, a traditional Indian music style.

She was born Roshanara Khan. A local ruler, Maharaja Brijnath Singh, gave her the name 'Annapurna'. This is the name she became famous by. Annapurna Devi was the daughter and student of Allauddin Khan, who started the famous Maihar gharana (a school of music). She was also the first wife of the well-known sitar player, Ravi Shankar.

After she and Ravi Shankar separated, she moved to Mumbai. She chose not to perform in public anymore. Even so, she kept teaching music to many students for free. Some of her famous students include Hariprasad Chaurasia, Nityanand Haldipur, and Nikhil Banerjee.

Her Early Life and Family

Annapurna Devi was born on April 15, 1927, in Maihar. At that time, Maihar was a small princely state in British India. Today, it is part of Madhya Pradesh, India. Her father, Allauddin Khan, was a royal musician. He worked for Maharaja Brijnath Singh, who gave Annapurna her special name.

Her father, Allauddin Khan, was also her first teacher. He founded the "Senia Maihar gharana" of Hindustani classical music. He was a very respected musician and teacher. Annapurna Devi's brother, Ali Akbar Khan, was also a legendary musician. He played the Sarod, another Indian string instrument.

Annapurna first learned to play the sitar and sing from her father. Later, she switched to the surbahar. She played it in a very traditional style. One of her first important performances was for the Raja of Maihar. She played the surbahar and was rewarded with a large piece of land.

Marriage and Later Life

Annapurna Devi married Ravi Shankar, a famous sitarist, on May 15, 1941. They were married in Almora. They later separated in October 1982. Between 1946 and 1955, Annapurna and Ravi Shankar performed together. They played sitar-surbahar duets in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

They had one son, Shubhendra Shankar (1942–1992). He also became a musician.

Annapurna Devi married Rooshikumar Pandya on December 9, 1982, in Mumbai. Rooshikumar Pandya was a communication expert. He was also a sitarist who had learned from Annapurna Devi. He passed away in 2013. Annapurna Devi herself passed away on October 13, 2018, in Mumbai. She was 91 years old.

Her Musical Journey

Annapurna Devi quickly became a very skilled surbahar player. This was after she started learning music from her father, Allauddin Khan. She became so good that she began to guide other students of her father. These included musicians like Nikhil Banerjee and Bahadur Khan. She taught them classical music and how to play instruments.

In the 1950s, Annapurna Devi performed duets with Ravi Shankar. These concerts took place in Delhi and Kolkata. Later, she decided to stop performing in public. One of her students, Vinay Ram, said she felt uncomfortable taking money for concerts. She believed that music was a gift from Saraswati, the Goddess of learning. She felt it was wrong to sell it.

Annapurna Devi also taught her son, Shubhendra Shankar. He learned sitar from her. However, his father, Ravi Shankar, later took him to the United States. Shubhendra passed away at a young age. He did not have a solo career in classical music. But he did play with his father, Ravi Shankar, in concerts.

Teaching Music

Annapurna Devi was a highly respected teacher. She was one of the first important women gurus (teachers) in modern times. Her students played many different instruments and styles of Hindustani classical music.

Some of her students included:

• Sitar players: Debi Prasad Chatterji, Bahadur Khan, Hiren Roy, Indranil Bhattacharya, Kartik Kumar, and Nikhil Banerjee.
• Sarod players: Dhyanesh Khan, Aashish Khan, Basant Kabra, Pradeep Barot, and Suresh Vyas.
• Flute (bansuri) players: Hariprasad Chaurasia and Nityanand Haldipur.
• Other artists: Dakshina Mohan Tagore (dilruba) and Satyadev Pawar (violin).

She was also a key person in the Acharya Alauddin Music Circle. This group in Mumbai helps promote Indian classical music. It was created to honor her late father, Allauddin Khan.

Awards and Recognition

Annapurna Devi received many important honors for her contributions to music:

• 1977: She received the Padma Bhushan. This is one of India's highest civilian awards.
• 1991: She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. This is the top Indian honor for performing arts. She is the only surbahar player to receive this award.
• 1999: She was given the Desikottama. This is an honorary doctorate degree from Visva-Bharati University.
• 2004: She was made a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.