Hansa Veena exponent Pandit Barun Kumar Pal critical after suffering stroke
Kolkata: Pandit Barun Kumar Pal, an exponent of Indian slide guitar Hansa Veena and one of the seniormost disciples of late sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, has been in a hospital in Kolkata battling post stroke complications, his family said on Thursday.
"He is on a ventilator and critical," his daughter Chandrima Pal, a senior journalist, told IBNS quoting doctors attending on the musician at the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital.
He was admitted to the hospital on Sept 15 (Wednesday) last week.
The 76-year-old musician is considered one of the pioneers of the Indian Classical Slide guitar known as Hansa Veena, which was given to him by Pt. Ravi Shankar on Panditji's 80th birthday.
Formerly associated with the Ravi Shankar Institute of Performing Arts in Delhi, Pandit Pal is one of the foremost musicians of the famous Maihar Gharana, established by the legendary Baba Allauddin Khan, the guru of late maestro Pt Ravi Shankar.
His contemporary and fellow musicians besides his countless pupils have been praying for his recovery even as he battled post stroke complications, his daughter said.
An artiste associated with All India Radio (AIR) and its annual iconic pre-Durga Puja Mahalaya narration (India's oldest radio show) of late Birenda Kishor Bhadra, Pandit Pal had performed all over the world, including Europe and USA. He has also performed at the famous Womad music festival in The UK.
Closely associated with the Aurobindo Ashram Delhi, he has groomed and mentored students all over the world as a widely revered teacher.
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