Five of Ustad Bismillah Khan’s Shehnais Stolen From Varanasi

Kazim hassan claimed that thieves had broken into his ancestral house in Varanasi and took away five shehnais.

Shehnai maestro, Ustad Bismillah Khan. (Photo: Reuters)

Five shehnais belonging to the late Bharat Ratna winner, Ustad Bismillah Khan, have been stolen from his Varanasi residence. Four of the stolen shehnais were made of silver and one was a mix of silver and gold. Along with the shehnais, a silver plate of Innayat Khan award and two other gold bangles were also missing.

The late maestro’s son and his family have recently shifted to Dalmandi. The theft took place between 1-3 December, when the family was visiting the ancestral home in Sarai Harha.

When we returned to our new house, we found the door open and the lock of the trunk broken.

Bismillah Khan’s grandson, Razi Hassan

The theft was reported at the Chowk police station in Varanasi. The police department has confirmed the theft.

It is true that the <i>shehnai</i>s were stolen from the house. We are investigating the matter.

Nitin Tiwari, Senior Superintendent of Police

The four stolen silver shehnais were gifts for the Bharat Ratna awardee from former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, Kapil Sibal and Lalu Prasad Yadav and Shailesh Bhagwat, a fan from Mumbai, respectively.

The family is grieving the loss of the fifth shehnai which was a mix of silver and wood. It was of great sentimental value to them.

One of the <i>shehnai</i>s was very precious to him as he played it during the Muharram procession every year. None of his <i>shehnai</i>s are left with us except for the wooden one that he played to practice.

Razi Hassan

Ustad Bismillah Khan’s family has been demanding a museum to preserve his valued memorabilia, awards and instruments since his death in 2009.

According to the Indian Express report, Ustad Bismilla Khan’s youngest son Ustad Nazim Hussain has alleged foul play in the shehnai missing incident. He said, “Kazim (Bismillah’s son who managed his finances) had claimed that all the shehnais were stolen in 2009 and 2014. When I last spoke to him, he said he had donated every item belonging to our father. Then where did these come from?”

(With agency inputs)