Postal tribute to legend of surbahar, Annapurna Devi on her birth centenary year
Telegraph | 10 March 2026
At the onset of the birth centenary year of Annapurna Devi, the legendary surbahar player of the Maihar gharana, India Post, in collaboration with Annapurna Devi Foundation, brought out a special cover and cancellation in her honour on Monday.
The launch at the General Post Office was attended by two of her disciples, Nityanand Haldipur and Basant Kabra, who flew over from Mumbai and Jodhpur respectively, to represent the foundation.
“She was a lady Dronacharya. She taught both the Pandavas and Kauravas,” said Haldipur, lightheartedly pointing to himself and Kabra. “Unfortunately, she withdrew from the limelight. Had she continued to play on public platforms, she would have been regarded as the topmost artiste today,” the flautist said of his reclusive teacher, who died in 2018.
Her students later tried to persuade her to change her mind. “But for her, the commitment (to stop public performances) was set in stone,” he told Metro.
Sarodist Basant Kabra pointed out that Calcutta had witnessed a rare solo performance by her at the opening of the Ali Akbar College of Music in 1956.
“Baba (Ustad Alauddin Khan, the father and teacher of her and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and the greatest guru of the Maihar gharana) commanded her to play, so she could not refuse. Otherwise, most of her eight-nine other performances are with Panditji (Ravi Shankar, her first husband),” he added.
Sukriti Gupta, director, postal services, Calcutta region, said the special cover was a tribute to her contributions as a musician and revered teacher of Hindustani classical music.