Hansa Veena exponent Pt Barun Kumar Pal passes away

Pt Barun Kumar Pal

, an exponent of

Hansa Veena

or Indian slide guitar, breathed his last at his Kolkata residence this morning. According to his family members, he passed away in his sleep. He was battling complications following a brain stroke he suffered in September last year. He was 76.

The late Pt Pal was associated with

Ravi Shankar Institute of Performing Arts

in Delhi and was widely loved and respected as a fine teacher and mentor to hundreds of classical music students around the world. He was one of the pioneers of the Maihar Gharana and travelled across the world to perform until the pandemic halted travel and live music performances. According to his family, “Lack of mobility due to the pandemic took away the joy from a man who had celebrated music all his life.”

Describing him as “one of the biggest unsung heroes in the country”, percussionist

Pt Subhen Chatterjee

said, “His contribution to Indian classical music with the Hansa Veena, his very own instrument, should have been celebrated. Barunda deserved to be lauded more. We’ve known each other for a long time and went on national and international tours together for years. He was a brilliant musician, a fantastic human being and a very knowledgeable person,” he said.