Today is birth anniversary of the great Tabla players, Pt Kishan Maharaj.
He was born amongst the most famous families of Benares who have produced generations of talented musicians
Under the guidance of his uncle, Kanthe Maharaj, he started performing from age of 10
In most of his performances, he used to put the big red 'Tika', on the centre of his forehead, a trademark style of the Benares Gharana
He used to sit in a very special position on his knees, instead of the regular tabla player's sitting position
He was a very handsome, good-looking person and used to get compliments from audiences as well as from maestros
Kishanji was a very versatile musician, he could play all sorts of percussion instruments like pakhawaj, mridangam, dhol, etc. He was able to play the sitar and sarod also and could sing as well as dance
Amongst his famous compositions is the 'Taal Vadya Kacheri' with another Mridangam Vidwan Palghat R. Raju
Maharaj played in many parts of the world and in prestigious events and occasions like the Edinburgh Festival and the Commonwealth Arts Festival, United Kingdom in 1965
The Government of India conferred him with the Padma Shri in 1973 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2002
Pt. Ravi Shankar described him:
‘he was a very good painter, sculptor, poet and had a jolly nature.’