Page 7 - LN3

As a five-year old, Bismillah Khan played gilli danda near a pond in the ancient estate of
Dumraon in Bihar.
When Bismillah Khan was five years old, he lived in an old estate named Dumraon in present
day Bihar estate. He used to play gilli danda, an old sport quite similar to cricket.

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.
Laddu or laddoo are sphere-shaped sweets originated in the Indian subcontinent.
Also, he would go to the nearby Bihariji temple. Although Bismillah Khan was a muslim, he would
go to the temple and he would sing this song – ‘Chaita’ in Bhojpuri language. (Bhojpuri language
is spoken in an area of Bihar.) When he would finish reciting the song, he would get a big laddu
as reward and the weight of that laddu was 1.25 kg. This was a prize given to Bismillah Khan by
Local maharaja for singing the chaita.

This happened 80 years ago, and the little boy has travelled far to earn the highest civilian award
in India — the Bharat Ratna.

The writer says that this incident occurred when Bismillah was five years old, that he would get
this Laddu as a reward. And after Eight years, Bismillah Khan earned the highest civilian award
in India - the Bharat Ratna. So, this is the distance that he has travelled in his life. At five years
of age, he would get a 1.25 kg laddu as a reward and at eighty, he achieved the highest civilian
award in India that is the Bharat Ratna.

Born on 21 March 1916, Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of musicians from Bihar.

Bismillah Khan was born on 21 March 1916 in a family of Musicians in 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.

paternal ancestors: ancestors of the father

The lineage on his father’s side was full of great shehnai players. We can say that Bismillah
Khan ji acquired the skill of playing the shehnai from his ancestors. His grandfather was a great
shehnai player. He played the shehnai in the court of the Bhojpur king. His father and all paternal
ancestors were also great shehnai players.

The young boy took to music early in life.

Bismillah Khan ji also started learning music at an early age.

At the age of three when his mother took him to his maternal uncle’s house in Benaras (now
Varanasi), Bismillah was fascinated watching his uncles practice the shehnai.

When Bismillah Khan ji was just 3 years’ old, his mother took him to her parents’ house – to his
maternal uncles. (Maternal uncles mean the lineage on one’s mother’s side.) They lived in
Benaras (Benaras is today called Varanasi.) And when Bismillah Khan saw his maternal uncles
play the shehnai, he was attracted towards it and he also wanted to learn playing it.

Soon Bismillah started accompanying his uncle, Ali Bux, to the Vishnu temple of Benaras where
Bux was employed to play the shehnai.

Bismillah Khan started going with his uncle, Ali Bux to the Vishnu temple in Benaras. Ali Bux
was on a duty to play the shehnai at the Vishnu temple of Benaras.