LUCKNOW: The existing ancestral house of shehnai maestro and Bharat Ratna awardee, the late Bismillah Khan, is set to be demolished and replaced with a new structure featuring a museum to display his awards, shehnais, including a silver one used to play 'Ashuon-ka-Nazrana' during Muharram, and personal belongings.
According to Mohammad Sibtain, Bismillah Khan's grandson, the existing house is in a dilapidated condition and will be demolished.
Sibtain is the son of Bismillah Khan's eldest son, the late Mehtab Hussain. He settled a dispute over the ancestral house of 'Ustadji' with his cousin just two days ago.
Sibtain claimed that he had presented the land registry documents at the Chowk police station two days ago, following which his cousin failed to produce any evidence to substantiate his objection to the demolition and construction of a new building. The matter was subsequently resolved, and preliminary work began on Monday, he said.
According to Varanasi Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) had drawn up a plan nearly six months ago to replace the existing structure as part of a heritage conservation initiative. The proposal envisaged converting the homes of deceased Bharat Ratna and Padma awardees, including Bismillah Khan, into museum-like spaces.
After making the necessary budgetary provisions, the civic body prepared detailed project reports, drawings and designs. The tendering process for the projects, for which the families of the respective awardees had given their consent, was also completed and work had begun, Nagpal said.
However, because of the dispute over Bismillah Khan's ancestral house, the VMC could not proceed with its proposed project, estimated to cost nearly Rs 1 crore.
Nagpal clarified that construction or alterations to private property could not be carried out forcibly without the consent of all owners. Construction work was under way in houses where families had given their consent, but the corporation could not intervene in cases involving disputes or disagreements, he added.
Bismillah Khan's ancestral house is located in one of the lanes of Hadha Sarai, a wholesale market dealing in cosmetics, home decor and other goods. The commercial value of properties in the area has increased further following the demolition of around 190 buildings for the Dalmandi road-widening project, which forced several traders to look for shops in nearby areas.
Family members said Bismillah Khan had four daughters and five sons, including Mehtab Hussain, Naiyyar Hussain, Jamin Hussain, Kazim Hussain and Nazim Hussain.
The 670-square-foot ancestral house was registered in Mehtab's name. He died in 2016. The family said that the properties had been distributed among Bismillah Khan's sons before his death in 2006.
Apart from Mehtab's family, two of the four sons of the late Naiyyar Hussain also lived in the ancestral house, while the other two lived with their families in a house in the Saraiyya area.
One of Naiyyar's sons, Yawar Abbas, who lives in Saraiyya, had opposed the demolition of the old building for years, family members said. They added that when labourers arrived to begin the demolition, he appeared at the site, raised objections and called the police.
Taking note of the dispute, the police summoned both parties — Mohammad Sibtain and Yawar Abbas — to the local police station and asked them to produce documents relating to the property.
Sibtain said that after he produced the registry papers, the police advised Yawar to approach a civil court if he had any objection rather than create a law-and-order problem.
The dispute was subsequently resolved and work resumed, Sibtain said. He added that he planned to dedicate a portion of the ground floor to enable the VMC to proceed with its plan to develop the museum.