Pandit Ravi Shankar Passes Away

Pandit Ravi Shankar, the famous Sitar artist, passed away at San Diego (US) around 4.30 PM on 11th December 2012 (Pacific Time) after a brief illness which had him hospitalised.

Pandit Ravi Shankar

Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury who became known as Ravi Shankar was born on 7th April 1920 to Shyam Shankar Chowdhury, a barrister, and Hemangini Devi. (Shyam Shankar was conferred the title Harchowdhury which he later shortened to Chowdhury.) He was the youngest of seven brothers. The famous dancer and choreographer Uday Shankar is one of his brothers.

Ravi Shankar was married to Annapurna Devi in 1941 and had a son Shubhendra Shankar (1942 – 92) through her. Later he had a relationship with Kamala Shastri, a dancer. Yet later, he had a relationship with Sue Jones through whom he had a daughter: Norah Jones (1979) who became a musician in her own right and won eight Grammy Awards in 2003. Later he had a relationship with Sukanya Rajan and had a daughter – Anoushka Shankar, the noted musician – through her in 1981; he married Sukanya in 1989.

In a spectacular career spreading over several decades, Ravi Shankar – who became known as “Pandit Ravi Shankar” – won immense fame and several prestigious honours and awards.

Ravi Shankar was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1999.

With Pandit Ravi Shankar’s demise, one of the most spectacular sagas in the realm of modern Indian Music comes to a close.

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