Hariprasad Chaurasia

Lore & Background

Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in Allahabad (present day Prayagraj) in the United Provinces. His mother died when he was six, and he was raised by his father, a professional wrestler, and his elder sister. Against his father's wishes, he secretly studied music, initially learning Hindustani vocal music from neighbor Pandit Rajaram at age 15, then switching to flute under Bholanath Prasanna of Varanasi for eight years. He also trained as a wrestler, later crediting that strength and stamina for his ability to play the bansuri.

Chaurasia began his professional career with All India Radio (AIR) in Cuttack in 1957, then transferred to Bombay in 1962. He became a disciple of Annapurna Devi of the Maihar gharana, who required him to unlearn his previous training or switch to left-handed playing; he plays left-handed to this day. In 1967, he recorded the instrumental album *Call of the Valley* with Shivkumar Sharma and Brij Bhushan Kabra. He was awarded the Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Netherlands. Contrary to some reports, there is no documented evidence of Chaurasia playing bansuri on The Beatles' 1968 B-side 'The Inner Light'.

Reader's Guide

Hariprasad Chaurasia's significance lies in his transformation of the bansuri from a folk instrument into a concert instrument capable of the extended forms of Hindustani classical music, including detailed alap, jor and jhala. His training under Annapurna Devi, who taught him by singing musical phrases, led him to treat the flute as a medium for expression rather than limiting himself to instrument-specific techniques. This lyrical, voice-like quality made his music accessible beyond specialist audiences. His career spanned over six decades, including international collaborations with musicians such as George Harrison, Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, and Jan Garbarek, and participation in the revived Shakti group. He also worked extensively in film music, both as a studio flautist and as part of Shiv-Hari. His legacy includes teaching through the Vrindaban Gurukul in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar, and serving as artistic director of the Indian music section at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 1992, the Padma Vibhushan in 2000, and was elected a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2011.

Did You Know?

• Chaurasia initially trained as a wrestler at his father's insistence while secretly studying music.
• He played on The Beatles' 1968 B-side 'The Inner Light', written by George Harrison.
• He formed the film-composing duo Shiv-Hari with santoor player Shivkumar Sharma.
• He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Netherlands in 2008.

The Wrestler's Secret

Hariprasad Chaurasia entered the world on 1 July 1938 in Allahabad, then part of the United Provinces, now Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. His mother passed away when he was just six, leaving him in the care of his father, Chhedilal Pehelwan, a professional wrestler, and his elder sister. In that household the akhada was not a metaphor but a daily reality, and his father expected the same physical discipline from his son. Young Hariprasad dutifully attended training sessions, yet his true passion lay elsewhere. At fifteen he quietly began studying Hindustani vocal music and stenography under his neighbour, Pandit Rajaram, all while keeping his musical ambitions hidden from his father. He eventually turned to the bansuri, studying under Bholanath Prasanna of Varanasi for a full eight years. Looking back, Chaurasia has acknowledged that his wrestling days may have given him the breath control and physical endurance that still sustain his flute playing decades later.

Unlearning to Learn

Chaurasia's transformation from a self-taught player into a concert-caliber bansuri virtuoso hinged on a single, extraordinary apprenticeship. While working at All India Radio in Cuttack and later Bombay, he came under the guidance of Annapurna Devi, the reclusive surbahar player of the Maihar gharana and daughter of the legendary Baba Allaudin Khan. The terms she set were radical: she would only take him as a disciple if he were willing to unlearn everything he had previously absorbed. One account adds that he demonstrated his commitment by switching from right-handed to left-handed playing, a change he has maintained ever since. Because Devi was not herself a flautist, she communicated musical ideas by singing them, and Chaurasia translated those vocal phrases onto the bansuri. This method, he later explained, freed him from thinking of the flute as a collection of specific techniques and instead treated it as a pure vessel for melodic expression. The result was a playing style celebrated for its lyrical, voice-like quality and its command of the extended Hindustani forms of alap, jor, and jhala.

From Radio to Silver Screen

Chaurasia's professional path began in 1957 when he joined All India Radio in Cuttack, Odisha, as both composer and performer. After four years he was transferred to Bombay, a move that opened doors to the Hindi film industry. In 1967, alongside santoor player Shivkumar Sharma and slide guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra, he recorded Call of the Valley, an instrumental album that became a landmark in world music and earned a place in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. That recording launched a long creative partnership with Sharma, formalized as the composing duo Shiv-Hari. Together they scored numerous popular films, including Silsila (1981) and Chandni (1989), penning memorable tracks such as "Rang Barse" and "Neela Aasman So Gaya." The duo even coaxed actor Amitabh Bachchan into singing on the Silsila soundtrack. In Odia cinema, Chaurasia paired with Bhubaneswar Mishra as Bhuban-Hari, delivering beloved scores for films like Samaya (1975) and Gapa Hele Bi Sata (1976).

Crossing Borders

Chaurasia's reach extended far beyond the Indian subcontinent. In 1968 he played bansuri on The Beatles' B-side "The Inner Light," a track written by George Harrison, and contributed to Harrison's solo album Wonderwall Music. He also appeared on the 1974 Dark Horse release Shankar Family & Friends alongside Harrison and Ravi Shankar. In December 1986 he joined tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, guitarist John McLaughlin, and Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek to record Making Music, a session blending Hindustani and European improvisation. The following decade saw him rejoin McLaughlin's Indo-jazz ensemble Shakti for the 1997 Remember Shakti concerts in the United Kingdom. His touring career carried him to Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, and even the Kremlin. India recognized his contributions with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 1992, the Padma Vibhushan in 2000, and election as a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2011, its highest distinction.