Question

How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Answer 1

Hint: Deborah Cowley was a broadcaster and a freelance writer. Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan are two renowned maestros in ‘The Sound of Music.' This chapter delves into the lives of these two musical legends and the instruments they play. It shows us that with hard effort and perseverance, we can do everything we set our minds to.

Complete answer:
To answer our question - Shehnai is a better form of pungi since it has a higher tonal quality. It's a pungi-like natural hollow stem pipe with a longer and wider stem than a pungi. On the body of the pipe, there are seven holes.

The journey of Bismillah Khan is depicted in the second portion of the chapter ‘The Sound of Music.’ In ‘Shehnai,' Bismillah Khan was a master. According to Shehnai's history, Emperor Aurangzeb outlawed the playing of the instrument "Pungi" due to its unappealing tone. A barber redesigned the instrument by cutting seven holes in the body of a pipe with a natural hollow stem. He experimented with it, opening and closing some of the gaps.

The instrument made a pleasant tone. The monarch adopted the ‘Shehnai' instrument. The shehnai's sound was thought to be fortunate, therefore it was played in temples and during weddings. The instrument was introduced to the classical stage by Ustad Bismillah Khan.

Note: Bismillah Khan went all around the world, but he was most proud of his heritage. He is a superb example of an Indian who has celebrated Indian music's rich culture. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in the year 2001. He was always emphasising the need of teaching children music, which is one of India's richest traditions.