Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan laid to rest

Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan, who passed away on Tuesday afternoon, was laid to rest with state honours in Kolkata on Wednesday.

He also received a gun salute as part of his final rites.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was in attendance at Rabindra Sadan, where the mortal remains of the late singer were kept, to pay tribute to the Indian classical vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan.

Ustad Rashid Khan, 55, was undergoing treatment for cancer at a hospital in Kolkata where he breathed his last on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the West Bengal CM condoled his demise and said he was "one of the greatest exponents of Indian classical music of our times."

BJP leader Locket Chatterjee also paid his last respects to the late singer.

Belonging to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, Ustad Rashid Khan beautifully carried forward the legacy of his great-grandfather Inayat Hussain Khan. His initial training was under his maternal grand-uncle, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan.

He was only 11 years old when his debut concert took place, and since then he never looked back and gradually found a strong foothold in Hindustani classical music.

'Aaoge Jab Tum Saajna' from Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jab We Met and 'Allah Hi Rahem' from Shah Rukh Khan's My Name is Khan are some of the most memorable tracks that he created in Bollywood.

Needless to say, Ustad Rashid Khan was one of the finest Hindustani classical vocalists.

With a musical career spanning over four decades, Ustad Rashid Khan was also a recipient of various prestigious awards and honours including Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

After learning about his demise, many noted personalities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid their condolences.

Ustad Rashid Khan is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.