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As a five-year old, Bismillah Khan played gillidanda near a pond in the ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar. He would regularly go to the nearby Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri ‘Chaita’, at the end of which he would earn a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg, a prize given by the local Maharaja. This happened 80 years ago, and the little boy has travelled far to earn the highest civilian award in India — the Bharat Ratna.
Born on 21 March 1916, Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of musicians from Bihar. His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan, was the shehnai-nawaz of the Bhojpur king’s court. His father, Paigambar Bux, and other paternal ancestors were also great shehnai players.
Explanation:
This paragraph speaks about Bismillah Khan's younger years. As a five-year-old, he used to play gillidanda, a traditional Indian game near a pond in Dumraon, Bihar. He also went to the Bihariji temple near the pond regularly and sang the Bhojpuri Chaita, a collection of classical songs. He received a prize from the local king of the Dumraon estate for the same. The prize was a big laddu (Indian ball-shaped sweet) weighing \(1.25\ \)kgs. This incident happened eighty years ago. From earning laddus for song recitals, Bismillah reached all the way till he obtained the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India.
Bismillah Khan was born on \(21\)st March \(1916\). He belongs to a family of famous musicians from Bihar. He hails from a family of shehnai players. His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan was the Shehnai-Nawaz of the Bhojpur palace. His father Paigambar Bux and other ancestors of his father's side were great shehnai musicians.
Meanings of difficult words:
No. | Word | Meaning |
1 | paternal | related to the father's side |
2 | ancestors | one from whom a family is ascended, above the grandparents, usually |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2006). Beehive. The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan (pp. 21-29). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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