Guru-Shishya Parampara: The Legacy of Alauddin Khan and His Disciples

On a quiet evening in Maihar, the sound of a sitar intertwined with the deep resonance of a sarod floated through the air. In the dimly lit courtyard of the Maihar Gharana, a strict yet compassionate guru sat cross-legged, watching his disciples pour their souls into their instruments. Ustad Alauddin Khan, the legendary musician, was not just teaching notes; he was passing on a legacy.

Alauddin Khan: The Maestro

Born in 1862 in Brahmanberia, what is now Bangladesh at a Bengali Muslim family, Alauddin Khan was not born into a family of musicians, but fate had different plans for him. A young boy with an insatiable hunger for music ran away from home at the age of ten to join a jatra (traditional Bengali street theatre) group, which exposed him to Bengal’s immensely rich folk music. He settled in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and began a twelve year programme of formal study in Indian classical music, initially as a vocalist with one of Bengal’s greatest singers, Nulo Gopal. But seven years later, when his teacher died suddenly of the plague, Khan is said to have been so aggrieved that he vowed to never pursue a career as a vocalist.

He considered himself to not even have reached the most basic threshold in music with his guru, and instead began to turn his attention to various other instruments, including the violin, which he learned to play. He got interested in sarod on hearing a recital by a shagird (student) of the great Asghar Ali Khan (Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s grand uncle). Then he moved to Rampur, an important centre for royal patronage of music, to study with the legendary Veena player Ustad Wazir Khan (who was also tutor to Hafiz Ali Khan, Amjad Ali Khan’s father), the last descendant of the Senia lineage.

Later he became the court musician and tutor to Maharaja Brijnath Singh of Maihar, a princely state in central India. He remained in Maihar from 1918 until his death in 1972, long after India had disbanded its royalty. A Maihar tradition had already been established in the 19th century, but Alauddin Khan’s contribution to its development and technical perfection has been so tremendous that it is often assumed that he was the founder of the Maihar gharana known for its discipline, depth, and emotional richness.

Alauddin Khan’s method of teaching was one of unyielding rigor and spiritual discipline. He believed that music was not just about technical proficiency but about internalizing the essence of the raga, feeling its every note, and breathing life into its melody. His students were made to practice a single note for hours until it resonated with perfection. He would often wake them at odd hours, urging them to hear the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the cadence of the wind—because to him, music was in everything.

His disciples revered him, but their relationships with him were also fraught with the tension of deep devotion and the weight of his expectations. He was a father figure (his disciples often called him Baba or Abba), a taskmaster, and a spiritual guide, all in one. He demanded not just technical excellence but complete surrender to music. There were no shortcuts—students would often have to play a raga hundreds of times before he would nod in approval. The emotional bond between the guru and his disciples was intense, swinging between love and fear, reverence and rebellion. Among his most illustrious students were Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and Annapurna Devi, each of whom would go on to redefine Indian classical music.

Ravi Shankar & Ali Akbar Khan: A Legacy of Music and Brotherhood

A young Ravi Shankar, who initially toured as a dancer with his elder brother Uday Shankar, found his true calling under Alauddin Khan. The maestro took him under his wing, and through years of rigorous training, Ravi emerged as a sitar virtuoso. Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Khan, Alauddin Khan’s own son, was groomed as a master of the sarod.

The two were brothers in training, often practicing side by side, refining their art under the same uncompromising eye. Yet, there was an unspoken rivalry—Ali Akbar Khan, the biological son, and Ravi Shankar, the favoured disciple. The burden of expectations was heavier on Ali Akbar Khan, who had to live up to his father’s towering legacy, while Ravi Shankar, though deeply disciplined, had an innate flair that made his music accessible to the masses. Their relationship was filled with admiration, competition, and occasional resentment, each pushing the other to greater heights.

Their days in Maihar under the rigorous discipline of Baba Alauddin Khan were filled with gruelling practice sessions that lasted up to 16 hours a day. Baba was known for his unpredictable methods. There were days when he would wake them up in the middle of the night and ask them to play a Raga from memory. If they faultered, he would send them back to practice without a word.

One famous anecdote speaks of a rainy evening when both Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar sat practicing under the leaky thatched roof of their guru’s courtyard. Their fingers were blistered, their instruments damp, but they dared not stop until Baba gave them permission. When Ravi once complained about a wound on his finger, Baba simply glanced at him and said, “A musician’s blood must mix with his strings.” The lesson was clear—music demanded complete surrender.

Another story is told about how Baba tested their patience. One day, he locked Ravi and Ali Akbar inside a room and instructed them to perfect a particular phrase of a raga before they could eat. Hours passed, hunger gnawed at them, but the door remained closed. Only when he was satisfied with their efforts did he allow them to come out.

Despite the hardships, there were moments of warmth. After one of such gruelling sessions, Baba would sometimes sit with them and tell stories of his own struggles, his journey from obscurity to greatness. In those moments, he was not just a strict teacher but a father who wanted his children to outshine him.

Ali Akbar and Ravi Shankar often bonded over their shared suffering, laughing about their scoldings and sneaking out for brief moments of respite. But the underlying competition never faded. Baba’s rare words of praise were precious, and each sought to earn them more than the other.

Over time, their paths diverged—Ali Akbar Khan took on the responsibility of carrying forward his father’s legacy in India, while Ravi Shankar ventured into the world, taking Indian classical music to the West. Yet, their time in Maihar under the shadow of Baba Alauddin Khan remained an unforgettable chapter in their lives, shaping them into the legends they would become.

Ravi Shankar & Annapurna Devi: A Union of Music and Heartbreak

The bond between Ravi Shankar and Annapurna Devi was one of unparalleled musical synergy, but it was also a tragic love story. Their marriage was an arrangement by Alauddin Khan, believing that their union would create the greatest musical legacy. Annapurna Devi, a reclusive but exceptional surbahar player, was the musical equal, if not superior, to Ravi Shankar.

One evening in Maihar, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Ravi and Annapurna sat in the courtyard, engaged in a mesmerizing jugalbandi. Their music spoke of love, devotion, and an understanding that transcended words. Baba Alauddin Khan, listening from a distance, had tears in his eyes—he believed he had found the perfect successors to his legacy.

Yet, despite their shared music, their personal lives crumbled under the weight of Ravi Shankar’s growing fame and personal choices. Annapurna, deeply devoted to her father’s traditions, believed in complete surrender to music and the humility of an artist. Ravi Shankar, however, was drawn to a more global stage, collaborating with Western musicians and experimenting beyond the rigid classical framework.

Their temperaments clashed—Annapurna was intensely private, almost ascetic in her devotion to music, while Ravi Shankar thrived in the limelight. One incident stands out—Alauddin Khan, sensing trouble in their marriage, once locked them in a room and demanded they reconcile before stepping out. But even music could not mend the cracks forming in their relationship.

Annapurna eventually chose silence over limelight, retreating into a life of reclusion, training a handful of students while Ravi Shankar soared to international acclaim. The separation deeply wounded Guru Alauddin Khan and his wife, Madanmanjari Devi—the Guru Maa—who had placed immense hope in their union. It is said that Guru Maa never forgave Ravi Shankar for breaking Annapurna’s heart, her disappointment lingering in unspoken words and sorrowful gazes.

   

Annapurna Devi: The Silent Guardian of Tradition

While the world knew of Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, a quiet genius lived in seclusion. Annapurna Devi, the daughter of Alauddin Khan, was a master of the Surbahar, an instrument similar to the sitar but deeper in tone. Though she rarely performed publicly, her students—Nikhil Banerjee, Hariprasad Chaurasia—became legends themselves.

There are stories of how Annapurna Devi would teach in complete darkness, forcing her students to listen rather than see. She was known for her unbending discipline, but also for the deep, almost spiritual connection she had with music. Unlike her brother and husband, she renounced public performance, believing that true music was for the self and the divine, not for applause.
   

The Agony of a Guru and Guru Maa

The dissolution of Ravi Shankar and Annapurna’s marriage was more than just a personal tragedy—it was a source of deep pain for their guru. Alauddin Khan, already a man of great emotional intensity, was said to have wept over the rift, blaming himself for forcing a union that was destined to fail. His love for both his disciples remained unchanged, but he saw in their separation the frailty of human relationships, a stark contrast to the eternal nature of music.

Guru Maa, who had always been the quiet nurturer, carried an unspoken grief. Her daughter had withdrawn into herself, her son had moved away, and the bright hopes of a musical dynasty built on harmony had faded into discord. In the twilight of their lives, both Alauddin Khan and his wife witnessed the fragmentation of the very family they had sought to bind through music.

Conclusion: A Legacy that Lives On

The Guru-Shishya Parampara is more than just a method of teaching—it is the passing of a sacred flame. Alauddin Khan’s teachings live on, not just in the music of his disciples but in the hearts of those who continue to uphold this timeless tradition. His story, and that of his disciples, is a testament to the enduring power of devotion, discipline, and the transformative magic of music. But it is also a story of human emotions, of relationships tested by ambition, sacrifice, and the eternal call of art.

Despite the heartbreak, the music remained. It is in the sarod of Ali Akbar Khan, the sitar of Ravi Shankar, the silent wisdom of Annapurna Devi, and the countless students who still revere their teachings. And in that music, the voices of Guru Alauddin Khan and Guru Maa still echo, whispering across generations, reminding us that though human relationships may falter, art endures forever.
   

By Sharmistha Goswami Chatterjee