PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR The Greatest Sitar Maestro of India Bharat Ratna (1999) and winner of three Grammy Awards 2nd Death Anniversary Historical Background Full Name Pandit Ravi Shankar Date of Birth 7 April 1920 – 12 December 2012 Place of Birth Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India Activity / Profession Sitar Maestro, Music Director and Composer Nationality Indian Brief History Ravi Shankar (7 April 1920 – 12 December 2012) often referred to by the title Pandit, was an Indian musician and composer who played the sitar.   Born at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, his birth name is Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury.   He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician.   He spent his youth touring Europe and India with the dance group of his brother Uday Shankar.   He learned sitar playing under court musician Allauddin Khan. After finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a composer, creating the music for the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, and was music director at All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956.   In 1956, he began to tour around the world playing Indian classical music thereby increasing its popularity in the 1960s.   He engaged Western music by writing concerti for sitar and orchestra and toured the world in the 1970s and 1980s.   From 1986 to 1992 he served as a nominated member of the upper chamber of the Parliament of India.   He was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999, and received three Grammy Awards.   While in USA, on 6 December 2012, Shankar was admitted to hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties. He died on 12 December at San Diego, California, USA. CROSSWORD dedicated to him/her/Event  All answers in the following crossword are the words formed from the letters of RAVI_SHANKAR; click on it to play (iPad compatible) Links (to other pages within and outside this site) WIKIPEDIA CROSSWORD QUIZ #1   Video Clips (from Youtube and other sources)                               QUIZ - Fill in the blanks out of the given answers       HISTORY QUIZ OF THE DAY     QUOTES of the day   Sayings of Grandparents