One of India's most famous musicians, Bhimsen Joshi, has died at a hospital in the western city of Pune, aged 89. A legendary singer of Hindustani classical music, Joshi had been ailing for some time and was being treated at the hospital for nearly a month. Joshi received India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2008. The maverick singer was one of the few classical musicians to record film music. He also participated in a popular national integration jingle. Indian musicians paid rich tributes to Joshi. Singer Shubha Mudgal said his death came as a "big shock for all students of music in India". She said despite Joshi's series of illnesses, he would "rejuvenate himself" and begin singing again. "An era of Hindustani classical music has ended. One of the pillars is gone," said singer Shankar Mahadevan. Born in 1922 in Gadag in southern Karnataka state, Joshi left home at the age of 11 to pursue his musical dreams. He hopped from one long distance train to another, paying for his tickets by singing to ticket collectors. He was even arrested a few times for travelling ticketless. He also sought out households where he heard musicians lived and worked as servants - the young Joshi once worked as a servant at leading Bengali actor Pahari Sanyal's house after he heard that the actor was very fond of music. Joshi eventually returned home to train under a teacher. He worked as a staff musician at India's state-run radio station, All India Radio, before he recorded for the first time in 1944. Joshi was a prolific performer, travelling extensively at home and abroad and aggressively promoting his overseas concerts through poster campaigns.
Eminent Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi died of old age related ailments Monday morning at a hospital here, his doctor said. He was 88. A Bharat Ratna awardee, Joshi died at Pune's Sahyadri Hospital at 8.05 a.m, his doctor Atul Joshi said. Joshi, who would have turned a year older Feb 4, was rushed to the Sahyadri Hospital Dec 31. He was suffering from old age related ailments, including kidney problems, and had been admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit. The 88-year old Hindustani classical exponent was on ventilator and underwent periodic dialysis during the past 25 days. "However, since Saturday evening, his condition deteriorated and he started sinking despite all our efforts. He breathed his last at 8.05 a.m.," Atul Joshi told Close family members and relatives were present at his bedside when Pandit Joshi breathed his last. Pandit Joshi was conferred Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, in 2008. A practitioner of the Kirana gharana, Joshi was known for his mellifluous 'khayals' as well as for his popular renditions of devotional 'abhangs' and 'bhajans'.
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