Sitar maestro, Pandit Ravi Shankar has passed away last evening at San Diego of the United States of America. He was 92. Pandit Ravi Shankar was admitted to hospital last Thursday after he complained of breathing difficulties. The entire nation expressed their heartfelt condolences of the man, who was more or less like an ambassador of India for music.

Born in Varanasi (Kasi) in 1920, Ravi Shankar toured Europe and United States when he was youth with the dance troop. He gave up dancing and took up sitar in 1938. Shankar rose to fame after he composed music to Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy. He later composed music for many classic movies and received Padma Vibhushan in 1981 and Bharat Ratna in 1999.

Wishesh network pays tributes to Pandit Ravi Shankar. May his soul rest in peace.

(AW Phani)