1. Annapurna Devi was an Indian surbahar player of Hindustani classical music.
17 Facts About Annapurna Devi
1. 2.
Annapurna Devi was given the name 'Annapurna' by Maharaja Brijnath Singh of the former Maihar Estate, and it was by this name that she was popularly known.
3.
Annapurna Devi was the daughter and disciple of Allauddin Khan, and the sister of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
4.
Annapurna Devi was an extremely private person and was never interested in being a professional musician like the rest of her family.
5.
Annapurna Devi was the only known female maestro of the surbahar in the 20th century.
6.
Annapurna Devi was born on 17 April 1927 at Maihar, a princely state in Madhya Pradesh, India.
7.
Annapurna Devi went on to found of the Senia-Maihar gharana, which was a branch of the Rampur Senia gharana of Wazir Khan but with its own uniqueness as a result of the more eclectic erudition that Alauddin Khan himself had acquired in his life through many other gurus, his adherence to the Dhrupad style of playing, and his opennes and versatiliity of baaj or playing style.
8.
Annapurna Devi's brother, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, was a sarod maestro and was considered by many as a 'national treasure' in India.
9.
Annapurna Devi became a very accomplished musician within a few years of training.
10.
On 15 May 1941, Annapurna Devi converted to Hinduism and married fellow pupil, Ravi Shankar, at the behest of Shankar's eldest brother Uday Shankar.
11.
Annapurna Devi married Rooshikumar Pandya in Bombay on 9 December 1982.
12.
Annapurna Devi died suddenly of a cardiac arrest in April 2013 at the age of 73.
13.
Annapurna Devi died of age-related issues on 13 October 2018 in Mumbai, aged 91.
14.
Annapurna Devi was rewarded with a large tract of land for her performance.
15.
From 1946 to 1957, Ravi Shankar and Annapurna Devi performed duets in Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta.
16.
Annapurna Devi's pupils were not restricted to a single instrument.
17.
Annapurna Devi was the key figure of Acharya Alauddin Music Circle in Mumbai.