HYDERABAD: Rites noted historian- economist Ramachandra Guha in one of his columns in a national daily: “For the act of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan singing Hamsadhvani at a Rama Navami concert in Bangalore’s Fort High School in 1956 brings and blends together many languages, religions, regions, political regimes, musical traditions, and architectural styles. It is a glorious tribute to the cultural diversity of our country and our civilisation. And incidentally a gorgeous piece of music too.”
YouTube, the digital depository of musical compositions, has Raga Hamsadhvani at top of the list which appears on searching the singer’s name. Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is a revered name in the world of classical Hindustani music, who attracted even the celebrated physicist CV Raman in the audience. Born in Kasur, Punjab (Pakistan) on April 2, 1902, Ghulam Ali Khan chose to go back to Pakistan after the Partition but returned to Hindustan and was granted Indian citizenship. The musician of the Patiala gharana, after a prolonged illness, died on April 25, 1968, at Basheerbagh Palace, Hyderabad. He’s buried at Daira Mir Momin in the Old City.
Quite surprisingly not many know that his resting place is in the City of Pearls. Daira Mir Momin is a four-century-yearold graveyard, where several noted personalities are buried. Spread in an area of 18 acres, it is named after Mir Momin Astarabadi, who immigrated from Astarabad, Persia to Deccan, and played an important role in the formation of Hyderabad designing it somewhat like the city of Isfahan, Iran. He’s buried there. “Theological scholars Shah Chirag and Noor Ul Huda, poet Mirza Mohammed, a Qutb Shahi princess and family members of the Salar Jung family are also buried here,” says Anuradha Reddy, convener of INTACH, Hyderabad.
The resting place of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is inside a small white tomb with green jaali doors in all its four sides. So how did the Padma Bhushan awardee come to Hyderabad? Shares Samina Raza Ali Khan his granddaughter- in-law, who’s married to Ustad Raza Ali Khan, “My grandfather Nawab Moin Ud Dowla Bahadur invited him to Hyderabad in the late 50s to sing in one of his durbars.” At that time Ghulam Ali Khan used to live in Bombay. Later, he was invited to the city by Samina’s uncle Nawab Zahir Yar Jung. His health was deteriorating so he chose to stay back in the city for treatment. He passed away at Basheerbagh Palace built by Samina’s great grandfather Sir Asman Jah, who was the 28th prime minister of Hyderabad and also held the title Basheer Ud Dowla.
Not many know that he used to play sarangi before he devoted himself to music as a vocalist. He performed for the Maharaja of Patiala and Mohammed Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan. There’s Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sangeet Academy at Banjara Hills, an initiative of his great-grandson Fazle Ali Khan. He shares, “He used the pen-name Sabrang for his compositions and brought together the three eminent traditions into his own i.e., Patiala- Kasur, the Behram Khani facets of Dhrupad, the elements of Jaipur, and the behlavas of Gwalior.” Other than creating compositions he also loved to cook.
Shares Samina, “He loved eating murraghan khana (rich food) and used to cook Punjabi Pulao, Paya, and different types of qorma himself.” Back in those days, the classical singers didn’t use to sing for movies. So when Naushad, the music director of Mughale- Azam approached him to sing in the epic film he didn’t want to. “But later just to avoid singing in films he agreed saying his fees would be `25,000, which was quite high in those days. The producer-director K Asif agreed,” shares Samina. That’s how today the world remembers two of his classical renditions– Prem Jogan Ban Ke and Shubh Din Aayo in the 1960 movie.
— Saima Afreen
saima@newindianexpress.com @Sfreen