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Read the following passage and answer the questions set on it.Born on March 21, 1916, Bismillah Khan belonged to a family of professional Shehnai players. At the age of six, he moved to Banaras where his maternal uncle Ali Baksh introduced him to the nuances of playing the simple reed instrument, the Shehnai. For many years the temple of Balaji and banks of Ganga became the favourite haunt where Bismillah could practice for hours in solitude. The flowing waters of Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent ‘ragas’ which were earlier considered to be beyond the range of Shehnai.His first reward came at the age of 14, as the best performer at the All India Music Conference in Allahabad in 1930. In 1947 he won three medals at the music conference in Calcutta. On the first Independence Day, 15th August 1947, he played at the invitation of the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Awards and recognitions came fast. He participated in the World Exposition in Montreal, Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade Fair. An auditorium was named after him in Tehran called Tahar Mausiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan. The World Music Institute celebrated his 80th birthday in New York.In spite of having travelled all over the world Khan Saab, as he is fondly called, was fond of Banaras and Dumraon. Once, one of his students wanted him to head a Shehnai school in the USA and recreate the atmosphere of Banaras there. But Ustaad asked him if he could take the Ganga there. Talking about Balaji temple he said, “I have tears in my eyes when I visit the place”. About Dumraon he said, “How can I forget the place of my birth?”. While in Mumbai, I think of only Varanasi and the holy Ganga. And in Varanasi I miss Dumraon. No wonder Khan Saab ever thought of migrating from Banaras unlike some stars like Pandit Ravi Shankar or Ustad Allaudin Khan.Answer the following in a word, a phrase or a sentence each:1. How old was Bismillah Khan when he moved to Banaras?2. introduced Bismillah Khan to the nuances of playing Shehnai.3. Where was the ‘All India Music Conference’ held?4. What inspired Bismillah Khan to improvise and invent ragas?5. .......played Shehnai for Free India from the ramparts of the Red Fort.(a) Khan Saab (b) Pandit Ravi Shankar (c) Ustad Allaudin.6. Where is the auditorium named after Bismillah Khan Saab situated?7. Bismillah Khan’s birthplace is8. Where was Khan Saab’s 80th birthday celebrated?9. The Prime Minister offered a _______ (invite) to Khan Saab to play at the Red Fort.10. Add a suitable prefix to the word ‘wanted’ to write its antonym (re, un, de). |
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Answer» 1. Bismillah Khan was six when he moved to Banaras. 2. AM Baksh. 3. The ‘All India Music Conference’ was held in Allahabad. 4. The flowing water of Ganga inspired Bismillah Khan to improvise and invent ragas. 5. (a) Khan Saab. 6. In Tehran. 7. Dumraon. 8. At the World Music Institute in New York. 9. invitation 10. unwanted. |
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