Ustad Imrat Khan

Letters from Ustad Imrat Khan, Ustad Nishat Khan and Ustad Shujaat Khan have been reproduced below including responses

Dear Friends and Well Wishers of Ustad Vilayet Khan and Ustad Imrat Khan and to the admirers and followers of our Khandaan,

The legendary Ustad Vilayet Khan my elder brother has reached his heavenly abode on Saturday night March 13^th, 2004 in Mumbai. (Inna lillah-e-wa inna alaiherajeoun) His body has been flown to Kolkata where he has been laid to rest beside our father, the great Ustad Enayet Khan with thousands of admirers, including VIPs and VVIPs paying their last respects.

He was not only my elder brother but he was my mentor and my hero. Since we lost our father, Ustad Enayet Khan, when I was only three it was my elder brother whom guided me into the galaxies of Indian classical music.

We lived and played together til 35 years of my age and 43 years of his. During this time, we performed together many memorable performances at the major festivals and venues in India and throughout the world and recorded the finest music still to be heard from the golden pages of Indian classical music. The entire generation of the musical style of our gharana was preserved, enhanced, and reestablished during this period in the world of music.

I had the opportunity of blessed moments to be with him in Mumbai at the Jaslok hospital during the first week of March before he permanently went into a coma. I am very fortunate as always that he entrusted upon me his last wishes and desires. Among which his greatest wish was to maintain the highest standard of sitar and surbahar in our gharana and for it to be continued sincerely with all its purity and integrity as he had maintained all his life. He gave me this monumental task to be continued for the rest of my life with my most sincere sons, nephews, and students of our gharana and khandaan.

I will always be seeking support, love, and blessings from the members and followers of my gharana.

(P.S. I would like to request the music lovers and well-wishers of our gharana to phone or write to me directly for further precise information in regards to our Khandaan and Ustad Vilayet Khan.)

With all my gratitude.

My Dear Fellow Music Lovers,

I am extremely saddened by the great loss we have all suffered - the passing away of my uncle, Ustad Vilayat Khansahib. I was very fortunate to have been with "Bade Abba" (Ustad Vilayat Khansahib) last week at his bedside, but nothing could prepare me for the shocking news of his passing away so quickly. My father, Ustad Imrat Khansahib, was also in Mumbai last week, and, after returning to America, is distressed for the same reason.

Saturday was extremely difficult for me, not just for receiving the news here in the United States but also from the confusion over his burial date.
I was to board the next flight to India but was simply unable to make the long journey in time for his scheduled Sunday burial. Knowing now that it
was postponed to Monday, you can imagine my greatest sorrow in not being able to attend his last rites.

Our extended family (my cousins Shujaat Bhai and Hidayat) is in close contact, and we are still trying to cope with the loss we have all suffered.
My brothers Irshad and Wajahat are in Kolkata with the entire family. My personal loss is not just of an uncle, but that of a guiding light and inspiration of sitar and Indian music. I am deeply grateful to all of you
for your condolences, prayers and blessings.

With my very best regards,

"Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their good wishes and outpouring of love after the passing away of my father Ustad Vilayat
Khan. It has touched me deeply. My family and I are very grateful for your prayers and words of comfort. After returning from India, however, I
have been inundated with phone calls and comments regarding a message posted by my uncle Ustad Imrat Khan Sahib, both on his website and on the Indian classical music newsgroup RMIC. Regretfully, I have no choice but to clarify some of his remarks which are factually incorrect.

I want to say that I have deep respect for my uncle Imrat Khan Sahib's musical greatness. While it is true that Ustad Imrat Khan Sahib was
close to my father for many years, their relationship had been strained for the last 15 or 20 years. In fact, Abba (my father) did not even meet
Ustad Imrat Khan Sahib for the last 15 years. My brother Hidayat, Begum Vilayat Khan, and I were the only family members by Abba ji's bedside
constantly, for the last two weeks of his life. Imrat Khan Sahib and my cousin, Nishat Bhai, did visit Bombay to meet Abba, but for ONE day . At that time, Abba was in ICU where visitors are allowed only for a few minutes, if at all. Abba was seriously ill at that time and hardly in a condition
to recognize any one, leave alone converse with visitors. It would have been highly improbable for him to delegate "monumental tasks" of any
kind or in any way "pass on the torch" to anyone as indicated in Imrat Khan Sahib's messages. Also, I'd like to clarify that Abba never went into
a permanent coma, as has been reported in Imrat Khan Sahib's website. Hidayat, Begum Khan, and I were by his bedside when he breathed his
last, and together with his dear student, Shri Arvind Parikh, we transported the body to Calcutta where his last rights were performed. These are the
facts.

As his eldest son, it is my humble request to all to let his family grieve in peace. We need to focus on the immense contributions Abba has made
to Indian Classical Music, to the sitar, and his impact on our lives. As his children, his disciples, and lovers of Hindustani classical music
our endeavor should be to carry his legacy forward with love and dedication and not worry about replacing him or scrambling to become
his heirs or successors. I don't think in our lifetimes, I or any one else can fit into Abba's shoes."