RSS condoles demise of music maestro Rashid Khan

New Delhi: The RSS on Wednesday condoled the demise of music maestro Rashid Khan and said he was a “great soul” who took the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana tradition to “new heights”.

Khan, who made Hindustani classical music accessible to countless listeners, died at a Kolkata hospital on Tuesday after a four-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 55.

“Ustad Rashid Khan was a great classical musician in the Hindustani tradition. He as a great-grandson of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana founder Inayat Hussain Khan took the tradition to new heights,” the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) publicity head Sunil Ambekar said in a post on X.

Ustad Rashid Khan

was a great classical musician in the Hindustani tradition. He as a great-grandson of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana founder Inayat Hussain Khan took the tradition to new heights. We extend our condolences to this great soul. ॐशांती pic.twitter.com/OOUPriDJmc

— Sunil Ambekar (@SunilAmbekarM) January 10, 2024

“We extend our condolences to this great soul,” he added.

Thousands of Ustad Rashid Khan's admirers paid their last respects to the classical vocalist, whose body was kept for public view at the state-run cultural complex Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata on Wednesday.

A gun salute was given to the versatile classical vocalist whose body was kept in a casket decked with white flowers.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet colleagues were present at the Rabindra Sadan.

Singer Usha Uthup, vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, his daughter and vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty were among those who came to the venue to pay floral tributes.