CONDOLENCE RESOLUTION

Sangeet Natak Akademi and its associate bodies deeply mourn the sad demise of the eminent Sarod musician Sharan Rani Backliwal, who passed away in Delhi on the 8th of April 2008.

Sharan Rani (nee Mathur) was born in 1929 in Delhi, and received her training in the Sarod under Ustads Allauddin Khan and Ali Akbar Khan. She started performing on the concert stage at an early age and over her long career toured the United States, Britain, France, the erstwhile Soviet Union and many other countries. A radio artist of long standing, Sharan Rani also produced a number of gramophone records, audio cassettes and CDs: among these is in an album issued by UNESCO. For several years, Sharan Rani collected old and rare musical instruments, which she later donated to the National Museum in Delhi, which has dedicated a special gallery for their display. For her achievement in the field of music, Sharan Rani was awarded the Padma Shri in 1968 and the Padma Bhushan in 2000. She was bestowed the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contribution to Hindustani Instrumental music in 1986 and won a special honour from All India radio in 1999. Sharan Rani also received an honorary doctorate from the City University of Los Angeles, U.S.A. She was the author of the books The Divine Sarod and Sarod: An Ancient Indian Musical Instrument.

In her passing away, the world of Indian music has lost an outstanding artist whose work will be remembered for years to come.

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