Prior to the funeral, slated to be held between 3 pm and 5 pm, Pandit Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s mortal remains will be kept at his home in Juhu from 10 am to 1 pm for music lovers to pay their last respects.
New Delhi: Santoor maestro Padma Vibhushan Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away on Tuesday at the age of 84 due to a massive cardiac arrest in Mumbai. While the Governor issued a statement mourning his death, the Maharashtra government has announced a state funeral on Wednesday.
Government officials said the funeral will be held at the Vile Parle Hindu cremation ground near the Juhu airport. Prior to the funeral, slated to be held between 3 pm and 5 pm, his mortal remains will be kept at his home in Juhu from 10 am to 1 pm for music lovers to pay their last respects.
Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. He popularised the Santoor at a global level. His music will continue to enthral the coming generations. I fondly remember my interactions with him. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”
Sharma was suffering from kidney-related problems for the last six months and was on dialysis. It was Sharma who took santoor to an international level. Prior to that, santoor used to be known only as an instrument from Jammu and Kashmir.
A statement released by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray read, “Santoor reached where Indian music reached. This is the contribution of Pt Sharma’s continuous sadhana (disciplined and dedicated practice)…the Indian music field can never forget Pt Sharma’s contribution.”
Meanwhile, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari said, “The news of the demise of Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma is shocking. Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma was instrumental in taking Santoor and Indian classical music to the global stage.”
The music world along with the cine world too expressed their grief at the demise of Sharma.
