JewelWoodcock19 at 02:50, 19 December 2025

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{{short description|Indian musician (1894–1989)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1893|07|26}}
| birth_place = [[Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1989|08|22|1893|07|26}}
| death_place = Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
| occupation = Musician Vocalist
| known for = [[Gwalior gharana]]
| children = 3
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]] [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] [[Tansen Samaroh#Tansen Samman|Tansen Award]] Sangeet Bhishmacharya [[Akashvani (radio broadcaster)|Akashwani]] Award Shikhar Samman Gaan Maharishi Bhuwalka Award Swar Vilas
}}
'''''Gaan Maharishi'' Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit''' (1894–1989) was an Indian musician, considered by many as one of the leading vocalists of the [[Gwalior gharana]].<ref name="Pandit Krishna Rao Shankar Pandit">{{cite web | url=http://davidphilipson.com/pages/krs_pandit.html | title=Pandit Krishna Rao Shankar Pandit | publisher=David Philipson | date=2016 | access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> He authored several articles and 8 books on music and was the founder of ''Shankar Gandharva Mahavidyalaya'', a music college based in Gwalior.<ref name="Padma Bhushan Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit">{{cite web | url=http://www.meetapandit.com/pt-krishnarao-shankar-pandit/ | title=Padma Bhushan Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit | publisher=Meeta Pandit | date=2016 | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-date=28 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228232021/http://www.meetapandit.com/pt-krishnarao-shankar-pandit/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]], in 1973, for his contributions to music.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2016 |access-date=3 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> He was also a recipient of several other honors, including the 1959 [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] and the 1980 [[Tansen Samaroh#Tansen Samman|Tansen Award]] of the Government of Madhya Pradesh.<ref name="Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit on IAPA">{{cite web | url=http://www.iapa-usa.org/gwalior/krishnarao_shankar_pandit.htm | title=Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit on IAPA | publisher=Indian Academy of Performing Arts | date=2016 | access-date=17 April 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Biography ==
Krishnarao Pandit was born on 26 July 1893 in [[Gwalior]], a town known for its musical tradition, in the Indian state of [[Madhya Pradesh]], to a notable musician by name, Shankarrao Pandit.<ref name="Tribute to a Maestro">{{cite web | url=http://www.itcsra.org/tribute.asp?id=10 | title=Tribute to a Maestro | publisher=ITC Sangeeth Research Academy | date=2016 | access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> His early music training was under his father as well as the father-son duo of Nathu Khan and Nissar Hussain Khan and learnt [[Khyal]], [[Tappa]], [[Tarana]] and ''Layakari'' genres of vocal renditions. After his debut performance aged 11, he started his solo career at the age of 14 as one of the younger musicians of the [[Gwalior gharana|Gwalior durbar]].<ref name="End of an era: Krishnarao Shankar Pandit">{{cite web | url=http://www.mohannadkarni.org/end-of-an-era-krishnarao-shankar-pandit/ | title=End of an era: Krishnarao Shankar Pandit | publisher=Mohan Nadkarni | date=2016 | access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> In 1914, at the age of 18, he founded ''Shankar Gandharva Mahavidyalaya'',<ref name="GuptaKumar2006">{{cite book|author1=Ameeta Gupta|author2=Ashish Kumar|title=Handbook of Universities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKgM7P5iGwgC&pg=PA384|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=978-81-269-0607-9|pages=384–}}</ref> a music college, which has since become a recognized music institution.<ref name="Shankar Gandharva Sangeet Mahavidyalaya">{{cite web | url=http://www.punjabcolleges.com/52680-indiacolleges-Shankar-Gandharva-Sangeet-Mahavidyalaya-Gwalior/ | title=Shankar Gandharva Sangeet Mahavidyalaya | publisher=Punjab Colleges | date=2016 | access-date=18 April 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Six years later, he was appointed as the State Musician of the [[History of Satara district|Satara Principality]] but he returned to Gwalior after one year.<ref name="The virtuoso: Krishnarao Pandit">{{cite web | url=http://www.mohannadkarni.org/virtuoso-pandit-krishnarao-pandit/ | title=The virtuoso: Krishnarao Pandit | publisher=Mohan Nadkarni | date=2016 | access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref>

Pandit was credited with designing the curriculum for vocal and instrumental music for which he wrote eight text books and several articles.<ref name="Padma Bhushan Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit" /> He tutored many notable singers including his two sons, Laxman Krishnarao Pandit and Chandrakant Pandit, and [[Meeta Pandit]], his grand daughter.<ref name="Ongoing legacy">{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/ongoing-legacy/article915171.ece | title=Ongoing legacy | newspaper=The Hindu | date=27 November 2010 | access-date=17 April 2016| last1=Chakra | first1=Shyamhari }}</ref><ref name="With music genres on tabs">{{cite web | url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/375981/with-music-genres-tabs.html | title=With music genres on tabs | publisher=Deccan Herald | date=22 December 2013 | access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> However, he continued his concerts without break and many of his renditions have been archived.<ref name="Krishnarao Shankar Pandit on Parrikar">{{cite web | url=http://www.parrikar.org/vpl/?page_id=620 | title=Krishnarao Shankar Pandit on Parrikar | publisher=Parrikar | date=2016 | access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="Akashvani Sangeet ">{{cite web | url=http://www.prasarbharatiarchives.co.in/pt.-krishnarao-shankar-pandit-91 | title=Akashvani Sangeet | publisher=Prasar Bharati Archives | date=2016 | access-date=18 April 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1959, he received the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] for [[Hindustani music]]<ref name="Sahitya Akademi Award winners">{{cite web | url=http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/akademi%20samman_suchi.jsp | title=Sahitya Akademi Award winners | publisher=Sahitya Akademi Award | date=2015 | access-date=28 May 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084937/http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/akademi%20samman_suchi.jsp | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Indira Kala Sangeet University]] honoured him with a doctorate, three years later.<ref name="The virtuoso: Krishnarao Pandit" /> The Government of India included him the [[Indian honours system|Republic Day Honours]] list for the civilian award of the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1973,<ref name="Padma Awards" /> the same year as he received the ''Shikhar Samman'' from the Government of Madhya Pradesh. The state government honoured him again in 1980 with the [[Tansen Samaroh#Tansen Samman|Tansen Award]]. He is also a recipient of honours such as [[Akashvani (radio broadcaster)|Akashwani]] Award, Swar Vilas title of Sursingar Samsad, Mumbai (1971), Gaan Maharishi title of the Jagatguru Shankaracharya Sankeshwar Peet (1975), Bhuwalka Award of Sangeet Saurabh (1982) and Sangeet Bhishmacharya title of the All World Marathi Sammelan, Mumbai (1989).<ref name="Padma Bhushan Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit" />

His disciples include his sons, Chandrakant Pandit and veteran Gwalior gharana vocalist, Pt. Laxmanrao Pandit, Pt. Sharatchandra Arolkar and granddaughter, noted torchbearer of the Gwalior parampara, [[Meeta Pandit|Dr. Meeta Pandit]].

Krishnarao Pandit, who was associated with [[All India Radio]] and [[Doordarshan]] as a producer,<ref name="The virtuoso: Krishnarao Pandit" /> died on 22 August 1989, at the age of 96.<ref name="Tribute to a Maestro" /> His life has been documented in a biography, ''Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, a Doyen of Khayal'', brought out by [[Neela Bhagwat]].<ref name="Bhagwat1992">{{cite book|author=Neela Bhagwat|title=Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, a Doyen of Khayal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wsufAAAAMAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7154-729-6}}</ref> Another book, written by M. Chary also details the life of Pandit.<ref name="Krishnarao Shankar Pandit on Parrikar" /> Recently, his granddaughter [[Meeta Pandit]] published a book, titled "India's Heritage of Gharana Music: The Pandits of Gwalior" in 2018, based on the life of the Pandit lineage and their invaluable contribution to the Indian classical music scene in all.

== See also==
* [[Tansen Samaroh]]

{{portal|India|Music}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web | url=https://sarangi.info/vocal/krsp/ | title=Krishnarao Shankar Pandit on Sarangi | publisher=Sarangi.info | date=2016 | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-date=14 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914203308/https://sarangi.info/vocal/krsp/ | url-status=dead }}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|author=Kumāraprasāda Mukhopādhyāẏa|title=The Lost World of Hindustani Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-MR_6Gr26hAC&pg=PA95|year=2006|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-306199-1|pages=95–}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandit, Krishnarao Shankar}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Gwalior]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male classical singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Khyal singers]]
[[Category:Indian music educators]]
[[Category:All India Radio people]]
[[Category:Doordarshan]]
[[Category:Singers from Madhya Pradesh]]

Krishnarao Shankar Pandit - Revision history

JewelWoodcock19 at 02:50, 19 December 2025