A reclusive genius
Eminent surbahar artiste Annapurna Devi died at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai on Saturday, 13th October 2018 aged 91, hospital officials said.
Daughter of the Maihar gharana maestro Alauddin Khan, sister of top sarod artist Ali Akbar Khan, and for a couple of decades the wife of sitarist Ravi Shankar before their divorce, Annapurna Devi was considered the greatest exponent of surbahar. She was also a guru of repute, counting sitarist Nikhil Banerjee and flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia among her prime disciples.
For most of her life, the great musician stayed out of the limelight by choice.