Sonia condoles Pandit Bhimsen Joshi''s death

New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) Congress President SoniaGandhi today expressed grief over the death of Pandit BhimsenJoshi, whom she hailed as the "doyen of Indian classical musicand a living legend in his own lifetime.

"My family always had a very special regard for PanditBhimsen Joshi and cherished him as a great musician, a finehuman being and a wonderful ambassador of Indian culture," shesaid in a condolence message to Srinivas Joshi, son of themaestro.

She noted that Panditji embodies the "very pinnacle ofour great classical music tradition. All those who wereprivileged to hear him singing never forgot the magic of thatexperience which stirred and uplifted the soul".

Striking a similar note, Agriculture Minister SharadPawar said that Joshi''s death has brought irreparable loss tothe Indian classical music.

Describing Joshi as ''Swarbhaskar", he especiallyrecalled the efforts taken by the late vocalist to start theSavai Gandharva music festival in Pune in 1953.