Bharat Ratna to Joshi

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan on Wednesday hailed the government's decision to confer the Bharat Ratna award upon the legendary vocalist Pandit Bhim Sen Joshi, terming it as a great honour to Hindustani classical music.

"It is a great honour that one of the living legends in the world has received the country's highest civilian award. His contribution to the Hindustani classical music is unparallelled," an emotional Khan who is a 'guru bhai' of Joshi said.

He said Joshi with whom he shares a special relationship has taken the classical music to its greatest height and the award has come at an appropriate time when the classical music is facing challenges from other kinds of music like fusion and remix.

"It is a great honour to the world of classical music which is passing through a very critical and difficult time. Other kinds of music like fusion, remix and films are very different and which are not the identity of Indian and European classical music," Khan said.

The sarod maestro became nostalgic as he reminisced the days when young Joshi as a student came to his father Haafiz Ali Khan Sahib, a musician to the royal family of Gwalior to, learn Indian classical music.

"No wonder, the prestigious recognition will enhance the status of the classical music in the world," Khan who has carved a niche for himself in the Hall of Fame of Indian classical music said.

A recipient of several awards including the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shree, the 86-year-old legendary exponent of Hindustani classical music, was chosen for the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award on Tuesday.