Today 14th October is Birth Anniversary of Pandit Nikhil Ranjan Banerjee. He was a prominent Hindustani Classical Sitarist belonging to the Maihar Gharana of Sitar. He was an disciple of Baba Allauddin Khan. Panditji was known for his technical virtuosity and clinical execution. Along with Pt. Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan, he emerged as one of the leading exponents of the Sitar and is regarded as a legend of Indian Classical Music.

Nikhil Banerjee's first teacher was his father, Jitendra Nath Banerjee, a noted sitarist. Young Nikhil grew into a child prodigy, and at age 9, becoming the youngest musician employed by All-India Radio. Jitendranath approached Mushtaq Ali Khan to take the boy as a disciple, but was turned down, instead Birendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury, the zamindar of Gouripur in present-day Bangladesh, was responsible for much of Nikhil's early training.

In 1947, he became a disciple of the revered guru, Baba Allauddin Khan. At first, Baba Allauddin did not want to take on more students, but changed his mind after listening to one of Banerjee's radio broadcasts. Giving up his concert career, Nikhil Banerjee spent the next 7 years studying under Allauddin Khan at Maihar. He was also taught by Baba Allauddin Khan's son, the famous sarod maestro, Ali Akbar Khan. Pt. Nikhil Banerjee's first appearance, after this retreat, at the Tansen Music Conference in Calcutta in December 1954 heralded entry into the triumvirate which was most sought after in Music Concerts.