Origins & Early Life

Pandit Nikhil Ranjan Banerjee (14 October 1931 – 27 January 1986) was an Indian classical sitarist of the Maihar Gharana. Along with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan, he emerged as one of the leading exponents of the sitar. He was a recipient of the Indian civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan. Nikhil Banerjee was born in 1931 into a Brahmin family in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Belonging to the priestly class, taking up music as a professional career was traditionally discouraged in his family, as music was not considered a respectable profession for educated families at the time. Despite these social restrictions, Banerjee's interest in the sitar developed during early childhood by listening to his father, an amateur sitar player, practice daily. Banerjee faced early resistance from his extended family under the joint family system, particularly from his grandfather, who was concerned that musical studies would compromise his formal education. At around five years of age, his father bought him a small sitar. By the age of seven, his father began systematically training him in scales and musical fundamentals.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Banerjee was regarded as a child...

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