Who is Gauhar Jaan? Google Doodle celebrates legendary Indian artist's 145th birth anniversary

Google Doodle, the search giant on Tuesday celebrated the 145th birth anniversary of Gauhar Jaan, one of the first performers to record music on 78 rpm records in India and released by Gramophone Company of India.

Gauhar Jaan was born under the name of Angelina Yeoward June 26, 1873, Azamgarh, of Armenian origin. Her father, Robert William Yeoward, worked as an engineer in a dry ice factory and married her mother, Victoria Hemmings in 1872.

Gauhar was a woman of exceptional beauty, talent and grace. She symbolised the secular ethos that Indian classical music is known for - her grandmother was a Hindu, grandfather a British and father Armenian Christian.

Gauhar embraced Islam and remained a devout Muslim all her life, though most of her compositions were replete with Krishna bhakti.

Gauhar popularized the music of light classical India with her performances of thumri, dadra, Kajri, Chaiti, bhajans, tarana, and condensation technology also mastered by performing the melody elaborate classic Hindustani style minutes only three and a half for a disc.

Her most famous song, thumri sung in Bhairavi is Mora Nahak Laye gavanava, Jabse Gaye mori sur huna live, Ras ke Bhare Tore Nain mere Dard-e-jigar and bhajans like, Radhey Krishna Bol Mukhse. She died at the age of 56 on January 17, 1930.