Top header Banner
Top header Banner
Middle top Banner

Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar passes away

Pandit Ravi Shankar
Pandit Ravi Shankar

Veteran musician Pandit Ravi Shankar has passed away at the age of 92 in San Diego.

The legendary sitar maestro was admitted to the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla last Thursday after complaning of breathing difficulties.

According to an official statement issued by The Ravi Shankar Foundation, the meastro “suffered from upper-respiratory and heart issues over the past year and underwent heart-valve replacement surgery last Thursday. Though the surgery was successful, recovery proved too difficult for the 92-year-old musician.”

“It is with heavy hearts we write to inform you that Pandit Ravi Shankar, husband, father, and musical soul, passed away today,” his wife and daughter, Sukanya and Anoushka Shankar, said in a joint statement.

As you all know, his health has been fragile for the past several years and on Thursday he underwent a surgery that could have potentially given him a new lease of life.

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the surgeons and doctors taking care of him, his body was not able to withstand the strain of the surgery. We were at his side when he passed away,” the joint statement said.

“We know that you all feel our loss with us, and we thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes through this difficult time. Although it is a time for sorrow and sadness, it is also a time for all of us to give thanks and to be grateful that we were able to have him as a part of our lives. His spirit and his legacy will live on forever in our hearts and in his music,” they said in their joint statement.