フレンズゲストハウスコミュのWednesday, November 22, 2006 (Varanasi):

"Ganga Mahotsav"

*Rajendra Prasad Ghat in Varanasi is playing host to its annual cultural festival of Ganga Mahotsav.

It has some well-known artists performing at the occasion. This festival kicked off with Ustad Bismillah Khan's son Naiyar Husaain playing the shehnai.

But the mood seems grim and nostalgic as everybody seemed to be missing shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

"I have always accompanied my father. Today I am missing him. But we can feel his presence in the musical notes and it seems he's watching over us. So I have played his favourite tune," said Ustad Naiyar Hussain, shehnai Maestro.

Paying tribute to the great shehnai maestro were also Pt Kishen Maharaj on tabla and Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma on santoor.

"Our music has always been inspired by nature, but now we are drifting away from it. But when we perform in places such as these the mood is completely different and good," said Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Santoor Maestro

The festival is on for the next three days and promises to be a virtual treat for all music buffs in the city.