Music as Spirituality – In Memory of Sitarist Maestro Nikhil Banerjee

Nikhil Banerjee was a sitar maestro of the Maihar Gharana since the age of 5. Trained under Guru Allaudin Khan, he is remembered for his impeccable execution and technique in playing the sitar

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee at his home in 1973; Source: Raga Records by Ira Landgarten

Pandit Nikhil Ranjan Banerjee was a virtuoso of the Maihar Gharana of Indian classical sitar. He was born in October 1931, to Jitendra Nath Banerjee, who was a sitarist himself. Nikhil Banerjee picked up the instrument naturally and soon emerged as a child prodigy.

Not only did he win a nationwide sitar competition, but he also became the youngest person to be employed by the All-India Radio, at the mere age of 9 years.

Recognising the brimming potential of the young boy, his father Jitendra Nath asked several sitar teachers to take him under their wing.

After changing multiple teachers, Nikhil Banerjee finally settled to learn from the revered musician, Baba Allaudin Khan. For the next several years, Nikhil spent his time under Baba Allaudin’s tutelage. Allaudin Khan’s son too was a famous sarod player, named Ali Akbar Khan.

Both the master and his son taught Nikhil Banerjee to refine his instrument-playing abilities in line with the Maihar Gharana, which gets its name from the erstwhile royal state of Maihar located near Madhya Pradesh.

As soon as he completed his training, Banerjee embarked upon concerts that he performed across the nation. His first performance after his musical education was the Tansen Music Conference held in Calcutta in 1954. He would also tour Europe and the United States frequently.

Gradually, Nikhil Banerjee came to be known for his perfect execution and technical adeptness with which he performed at concerts.

He had managed to strike the right balance between resorting to improvisations while maintaining the sanctity of the classical style. Banerjee believed that music was not just an art form, but an alternative path to spirituality.

Sadly, Nikhil Banerjee passed away due to a heart attack on January 27, 1986.

For his unmatched musical excellence, the sitar maestro was awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously.