Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the doyen of Hindustani classical music, breathed his last at a private hospital here on Monday. A shadow of loss descended over the city that the maestro had made his own, as news spread about his death at 8 a.m.
The 88-year-old Bharat Ratna awardee was in hospital since December 31. He was on ventilator support, battling multiple organ failure. He is survived by three sons and a daughter.
Belonging to the Kirana Gharana, Bhimsen Joshi mesmerised three generations of music lovers with his eclectic style.
Many gathered outside his house, Kalashree, to pay their last respects. Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan remembered the time when Bhimsen trained under his father, fondly calling him ‘Gurubhai.' “He was a Gharana on his own,” Mr. Khan said.
