KANTHE
MAHARAJ
An Unforgettable Tabla Maestro
K
anthe Maharaj, a famous Indian Vadya Shiromani
of the Banares Gharana, was born in the year 1880
in the Kabir Chaura Muhallah of the Varanasi city.
And he has passed away at 1st August in the year 1970
(at his 90) in the Varanasi as well. He was very profes-
sional tabla player of the India and had performed
at many places all over the India as well as outside
the country. He was trained by the most renowned
celebrity, Baldev Sahaya. Along with the Baldev Sa-
haya, he was a court musician of the Nepal. He lived
most of the time of his life in the Calcutta city. Later,
he taught his tabla playing activity to his many dis-
ciples named Badri Maharaj, Krishna Kumar Gangu-
li, Nanku Maharaj, Ashutosh Bhattacharji, Ramnath
Misra, Kishan Maharaj, Shamta Prasad (also known as
Gudai Maharaj), Nanhe Sahaya and Sital Misra.
Kanthe Maharaj Tabla
He got the tabla playing property through his gener-
ation as his father named Pandit Daleep Mishra, was
also an outstanding tabla player. His father taught
him all the important lessons of the tabla playing
and later he was taught by the Baldev Dahayaji.
It is considered as; the Kanthe Maharaj was the
first tabla player who has presented the stuti
means the praise of Lords through his Tabla.
Around 70 years he entertained the whole
world with his great tabla plying. In 1954, he
made a tabla playing record for about two and
half hours. He was very famous personality, al-
ways renowned for playing the different style
tabla. He was the great tabla maestro who
could generate unique and wonderful varie-
ty of tones from his tabla for any type of rag.
It is also considered that he was practicing daily
with a slow ‘Na Dhin Dhin Na’ whenever he wanted to
be concentrated. He is still and will always be remem-
bered by the people as a great tabla maestro.
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| APRIL 2018