Tribute to Padmabhushan Awardee Sitar Maestro, dies due to Covid-19 complications.

Sitar maestro Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri died on Saturday of Covid-19 related complications. He was 85.

Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri was admitted to New Delhi’s Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital earlier this week after he tested positive for Covid-19 and his oxygen saturation level dropped sharply. On Friday evening, the sitarist’s condition worsened, and he was put on a non-invasive ventilator support. He breathed his last in the early hours of Saturday.

Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri’s son Prateek Chaudhuri wrote to Facebook to share the news of his father’s demise. He wrote, “My Father, The Legend of Sitar, Pandit Debu Chaudhuri… is no more. He was admitted with Covid along with dementia complications and was put in ICU on ventilator around midnight today (1st May 2021)..after which he suffered a heart attack and could not be revived…..In spite of all efforts and prayers he could not be saved. A to the World of Sitar and Indian Music. Great loss. In grief..Prateek Chaudhuri (myself) Runa Chaudhuri (my wife), Rayana Chaudhuri (my daughter) and Adhiraj Chaudhuri (my son).”

A torchbearer of the Senia gharana, Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri performed across the world for over six decades, winning several honours, including the Padmabhushan, the Padmashree and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution in the field of music.

Pandit Chaudhuri was the Creator of eight new ragas namely Bisweswari, Palas-Sarang, Anuranjani, Ashiqui Lalit, Swanandeswari, Kalyani Bilawal, Shiva Manjari and Prabhati Manjari (his late wife Manju).

Pandit Debu Chaudhuri, in addition to being a top-class artist of India, is also a top-class academician, which is a rare combination found in any artist. He was the former Dean and Head, and Senior Professor, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi. He was the Founder Chairman of ‘Delhi University Culture Council’, Former Executive Committee member of various colleges of Delhi, Secretary, UMAK Centre for Culture, Member of the Advisory Board of the Music Audition Board of AIR, Expert Committee member of the UGC, Ministry of Culture and many other places and also the ‘Visitors’ nominee at Central Universities.