Shehnai wizard buried with military honours

Varanasi, Aug 21 (UNI) Thousands bid an emotional farewell to shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan whose mortal remains were laid to rest at the Karbala-Fatamaan burial ground here.

Men of the 1/11 Gorkha battalion lowered their muffled weapons as a mark of respect to the departed soul. The troops also saluted the Bharat Ratna awardee by firing 36 blank rounds in the air even as buglurs paid the ''Last Post''.

Before the burial, a majlis was held at the grounds in which prayers were offered for the peace of the departed soul.

The burial, incidentally, took place under a Neem tree just by the side of the place where Khan Saheb used to sit and play the shehnai during the 5th and 8th day of Moharram.

Earlier, in the evening, people had queued up all along the two-kilometre road through which he had gone to express his 'Aasu Ka Nazrana' by playing shehnai during the 5th and 8th day of Moharram.

The Ustad's foster daughter and classical vocalist Soma Ghosh was also present.

Rain God also expressed grief as the city expressed light drizzle.

The entire route was jammed with millions of people joining the funeral procession, which started from Beniabagh after offering the Janaje-e-namaz first by Shia hazarat and then by Sunni hazarat.

Later, the body wrapped in the tricolour was put on a grilled coffin and lifted to a carriage of the CRP. A guard of honour was also given to the departed soul by the state police.

The funeral went through the same route, which was taken by the Ustad when he went to offer 'Aasu Ka Nazrana' at the Karbala during Moharram. Bismillah Khan's youngest son Nazim sat on the front of the carriage alongwith other family members.

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