Kshitij Prose: Naubatkhane Mein Ibadat

Chapter: Naubatkhane Mein Ibadat (नौबतखाने में इबादत)

Author: Yatindra Mishra (यतींद्र मिश्र)

Genre: Personalia / Sketch (व्यक्तिचित्र)
Central Theme: This chapter is a biographical sketch of the legendary Shehnai maestro, Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan. It highlights his early life, his dedication to music, his roots in Banaras (Varanasi), and the cultural heritage of India.
Title Significance: 'Naubatkhana' refers to the place where musical instruments are played (specifically at the entrance of temples or royal courts), and 'Ibadat' means prayer or worship. For Bismillah Khan, playing the Shehnai was a form of worship.

Ustad Bismillah Khan (उस्ताद बिस्मिल्ला ख़ाँ): World-renowned Shehnai player, simple-hearted, deeply devoted to his art, religion, and the city of Banaras. (Original name: Qamaruddin).
Shamsuddin Khan (शमसुद्दीन ख़ाँ): Bismillah Khan’s elder brother, a famous Shehnai player.
Rasoolan Bai and Banarasi Bai (रसूलन बाई और बनारसी बाई): Renowned singer sisters of Banaras who deeply influenced Bismillah Khan's musical sensibilities in his childhood.
Balaji Temple (बालाजी मंदिर): The temple in Banaras where Bismillah Khan's ancestors used to play the Shehnai, and where he practiced for hours.
Banaras (वाराणसी / बनारस): A city of cultural heritage, music, tradition, and devotion, which is inseparable from Bismillah Khan's identity.

Childhood and Musical Beginnings:
- Bismillah Khan was born in Dumraon, Bihar, in a family of musicians. At the age of six, he shifted to Banaras.
- He used to watch his uncle and brother play the Shehnai. He started practicing in the Balaji temple, specifically at the Mangala Maiya temple, hidden from public view.
Attachment to Banaras and Dumraon:
- Despite traveling the world, Bismillah Khan's heart remained in Banaras and Dumraon.
- Dumraon is famous for the Sahnai reed (known as Parkhi / Narkat), a special grass grown on the banks of the Sone river, which is used to make the mouthpiece of the Shehnai.
- He famously said that even if he goes to Mumbai or America, he will miss the holy waters of the Ganga, the lassi, and the traditional culture of Banaras.
Simplicity and Humility:
- Despite receiving the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), Bismillah Khan lived a very simple life.
- He considered music as a way to connect with the Almighty (Sangeet hi ibadat hai).
- He respected all religions (Hindu-Muslim unity / Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb). He used to say, "Music has no caste; music is religion."

नौबतखाना (Naubatkhana): प्रवेश द्वार पर शहनाई आदि बजाने का स्थान (Place where musical instruments are played at an entrance).
इबादत (Ibadat): उपासना या प्रार्थना (Prayer / Worship).
रसूलन-बनारसी (Rasoolan-Banarasi): प्रसिद्ध गायिकाएँ (Famous female singers).
सुशीर वाद्य (Sushir Vady): फूंककर बजाए जाने वाले वाद्य यंत्र (Wind instruments like Shehnai, Flute).
ुमराव (Dumraon): बिहार का एक स्थान जहाँ बिस्मिल्ला ख़ाँ का जन्म हुआ था।
संगीतज्ञ (Sangeetagya): संगीत का ज्ञाता (Musician).

Q: Why is Banaras called the cultural capital of music?
- Answer: Banaras has a rich tradition of classical music, dance, and famous artists like Bismillah Khan, Siddheshwari Devi, and Rasoolan Bai. It represents the ancient cultural heritage and Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (composite culture) of India.
Q: What was Bismillah Khan's true 'Ibadat'?
- Answer: For Bismillah Khan, playing the Shehnai with utmost dedication, sincerity, and love for music was his true prayer (Ibadat) to God.
Q: What message does the chapter give?
- Answer: The chapter teaches us the values of humility, dedication to one's art, love for one's motherland, and communal harmony (Hindu-Muslim brotherhood).