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{{Short description|Indian Musical artist (born 1945)}}
{{Other uses|Lakha (disambiguation){{!}}Lakha}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| honorific_prefix = [[Padma Shri|PS]]
| name = Lakha Khan Mangniyar
| image = Padma Shri Lakha Khan Manganiar (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Lakha Khan receiving [[Padma Shri]]
| birth_name = Lakha Khan
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1945}}
| birth_place = Raneri, [[Jodhpur district]], [[Rajasthan]], India
| instrument = Sindhi sarangi, vocals
| genre = Rajasthani folk music, Sufi music
| occupation = Musician, vocalist
| associated_acts = Dane Khan (son)
}}

'''Lakha Khan Mangniyar''' (born c. 1945) is an Indian folk musician, sarangi player, and vocalist from [[Rajasthan]]. He is widely regarded as one of the last remaining masters of the Sindhi sarangi, an instrument intrinsic to the musical traditions of the [[Manganiyar]] community. Khan has played a significant role in preserving and promoting [[Rajasthani Folk|Rajasthani folk]] and [[Sufi music]] at both national and international levels.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rahman |first=Azera Parveen |date=2021-12-09 |title=Lakha Khan: 'Music is the reason I am here today' |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/desert-notes/article37912057.ece |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=राजस्थानी लोक संगीत को पूरी दुनिया में पहचान दिलाने वाले लाखा खान को पदमश्री सम्मान |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/rajasthan/jodhpur/sarangi-player-lakha-khan-have-been-named-for-the-prestigious-padma-shri-award-by-thec-centre-on-72nd-republic-day/articleshow/80461099.cms?story=3 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Navbharat Times |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-05-15 |title=Rajasthan's dying folk music finds a voice |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2009/Oct/06/rajasthans-dying-folk-music-finds-a-voice-94332.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-07 |title=In pursuit of the link between blues and Indian folk |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/link-between-blues-indian-folk-lakha-khan-chazz-chaitanya-bhalla-amarrass-nights-8366175/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and training ==
Lakha Khan was born in the village of Raneri in the [[Jodhpur district]] of Rajasthan, into a family of traditional Manganiyar musicians. He began learning music at a young age, initially studying vocal traditions before training in the Sindhi sarangi. By the age of 12, he had started performing publicly.<ref name="BhaskarProfile">{{cite news |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jodhpur/news/sarangi-player-lakha-khan-resident-of-raneri-jodhpur-decorated-with-padma-shri-has-been-playing-since-the-age-of-12-has-performed-in-43-countries-129103947.html |title=सारंगी वादक लखां खान, जोधपूर के राणेरी के निवासी, पद्म श्री से अलंकृत |language=hi |newspaper=Dainik Bhaskar |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref>

== Career ==
Khan’s early career was shaped by the influence of ethnomusicologist [[Komal Kothari]], under whose mentorship he gained opportunities to perform across India. He later toured internationally, introducing the Sindhi sarangi and Rajasthani folk repertoire to audiences in over 40 countries, including the United States, Japan, Russia, and various parts of Europe.<ref name="Independent2017">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/lakha-khan-inida-musician-rajasthan-s-traditional-folk-historian-muslims-hindus-islam-a7635671.html |title=Lakha Khan: India's traditional folk historian who sings of Muslims and Hindus |newspaper=The Independent |date=2017-03-24 |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref>

After a brief hiatus from international touring, Khan resumed global performances in the 2010s with [[Amarrass Records]]. He played at prestigious platforms such as [[WOMEX]] in Finland and the [[Roskilde Festival]] in Denmark.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/sarangi-maestro-lakha-khan-to-perform-at-denmarks-roskilde-festival-7984853/ |title=Sarangi maestro Lakha Khan to perform at Denmark's Roskilde Festival |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=2022-06-25 |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref>

Khan’s repertoire spans Rajasthani folk music, devotional [[bhajans]], and [[Sufi music]], often performed in multiple languages such as Marwari, Sindhi, Hindi, and Punjabi. His music is noted for its intricate melodies and deeply spiritual undertones. He frequently collaborates with his son, Dane Khan, who accompanies him on the dholak.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/rajasthani-folk-music-praising-krishna-to-the-tune-of-sindhi-sarangi/story-Ft8mp0AtIM7Wo7w4lJ1BlM.html |title=Rajasthani folk music: Praising Krishna to the tune of Sindhi Sarangi |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=2023-08-16 |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref>

== Awards ==
Lakha Khan has been honored with several national and state-level awards for his contributions to traditional music.

* [[Padma Shri]] (2021): India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in recognition of his lifelong dedication to the folk arts.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/rajasthan/jodhpur/sarangi-player-lakha-khan-have-been-named-for-the-prestigious-padma-shri-award-by-thec-centre-on-72nd-republic-day/articleshow/80461099.cms |title=सारंगी वादक लखा खान को पद्मश्री पुरस्कार के लिए नामित किया गया |language=hi |newspaper=Navbharat Times |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jodhpur/news/lakha-khan-who-will-bring-folk-music-to-the-whole-world-will-now-be-called-padma-shri-128161860.html |title=लोक संगीत को दुनिया में पहुंचाने वाले लखां खान अब कहलाएंगे पद्म श्री |language=hi |newspaper=Dainik Bhaskar |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref>
* [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] (2008): Conferred by India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama for his excellence in folk traditions.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/hindi/rajasthan/state/jodhpur/story-of-sarangi-player-lakha-khan-honored-with-padma-shri-award/rj20210126171017617 |title=पद्मश्री पुरस्कार से सम्मानित सारंगी वादक लखां खान की कहानी |language=hi |newspaper=ETV Bharat |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref>
* Marudhara Foundation Award: Recognized for his work in preserving Rajasthani heritage.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.patrika.com/jaipur-news/shyam-sundar-paliwal-lakha-khan-arjun-singh-padma-awards-2021-6652106 |title=Padma Awards 2021: राजस्थान के तीन सपूतों को मिला सम्मान |language=hi |newspaper=Patrika |access-date=2024-05-02}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.amarrass.com/lakha-khan Amarrass Records – Lakha Khan profile]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8MoacsZPS0 Lakha Khan – Live at WOMEX 2019]
* [https://agakhanmuseum.org/bio/lakha-khan Aga Khan Museum – Artist Bio]
* [https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/sarangi-maestro-lakha-khan-to-perform-at-denmarks-roskilde-festival-7984853/ Indian Express – Lakha Khan at Roskilde Festival]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Lakha}}
[[Category:Indian musicians]]
[[Category:Indian folk musicians]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:People from Jodhpur district]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Singers from Rajasthan]]

Lakha Khan - Revision history

Curi Hospital at 11:11, 19 October 2025