Question

questions for the lesson the shehnai of bismillah khan

Answer 1

Q1. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Q2. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Q3. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi

Answer 2

Answer:

Answer the following:

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the Pungi?

           Aurangzeb banned the playing of musical instrument Pungi because it had a shrill, unpleasant sound.

2.  How is a Shehnai different from a Pungi?

         Shehnai has a better tonal quality than Pungi. It is a natural hollow stem pipe with holes on its body and is longer and broader than the Pungi. Shehnai is, in a way, an improvement upon the Pungi.

3.  Where was the Shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?

       The Shehnai was traditionally played in royal courts, temples and weddings. Ustaad          Bismillah khan, an undisputed monarch of Shehnai changed  this by bringing this instrument onto the classical stage.

4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

           Bismillah khan got his big break in 1938 when he played shehnai on radio on the occasion of the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow . He soon became an often heard shehnai player on radio.

5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the Shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?

          On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the Raag Kaafi on his shehnai from the Red Fort. The event was historical because India was celebrating its freedom the British rule on that day and audience included the greats like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,Dr.Rajendra Prasad etc.

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a Shehnai school in the U.S.A.?

       Bismillah Khan refused one of his student's request to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he did not want to stay away from Hindustan, specifically, from Benaras, the River Ganga and Dumraon.

7.  Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benares.

The two instances that tells us about Bismillah Khan’s love for India and Benares are:

1.He refused to one of his student’s offer to head a shehnai school in the U.S.A because of his immense love for Benares,River Ganga and Dumraon.

2.When he was asked by Shekhar Gupta about moving to Pakistan during the partition,he instantly replied that he would never leave Benares,

Explanation: