Mile Sur Mera Tumhara....lost forever.....

"Mile Sur Mera Tumhara...toh Sur Bane Hamara,
Sur ki nadiyan, har disha se behte saagar mein mile,
Baadalon ka rup lekar, barse halke halke......
Mile Sur Mera Tumhara......"

Many of us would remember, the initiative by Doordarshan, in the year 1988(the then sole broadcaster of Indian TV) on National Integration. This soul stirring song & the video had made us proud & wet in the eyes then, going onto gaining nation wide popularity. Many popular artists had lend their voice & many popular sports dignitaries, movie stars etc had performed in the video.
Yesterday, morning, the news on the sad demise of the music maestro Bhimsen Joshi, brought back memories of this song again.

He had been unwell for a while now, & finally passed away in the early hours yesterday, leaving behind a legacy, a gap, which will probably never be fulfilled.
An institution by himself in Indian classical music, Bhimsen ji would be long remembered for his ability to make classical music sound easy & mellifluous to the common man. He would sing difficult Ragas with such effortless ease, that lesser beings like us would simply gape in wonder.
His first major public performance was at a tender age of 19 yrs, and first recording at 22yrs, & he continued to mesmerise the world of music lovers all over for more than six decades. While he was popularly known to be an exponent of "Kirana Gharana", he also performed in various forms of music like Bhajans, Dadra, Thumri etc. Today, people talk of Bhimsen Gharana.....as a tribute to his musical capabilities.
A humble soul that he was, his love for music was closely matched by his passion for fast cars, & he would undertake long drives, the longest being from Pune to Kolkata to attend a musical concert. ( How coincidental & interesting....I too have driven from Pune to Kolkata...all alone).

In 1972, he was conferred with Padma Shree & later in 2008, he was given the Bharat Ratna award...the highest civilian award for any Indian.
The legendary voice is gone.....an era ends......
The Sur which had united millions across the country, is now heavenly abode. Hindustani Classical music will miss the maestro called Bhimsen Joshi....

May he rest in eternal peace, but stay alive in our hearts for ever.......