Pandit Bhajan Sopori (1948–2022) was a renowned Indian santoor player, awarded with several national and international awards. On June 2, 2022, he breathed his last at Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana. He was suffering from colon cancer.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Bhajan Lal Sopori was born on Tuesday, 22 June 1948 (aged 73 at the time of death) in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, India. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He holds a Master in Indian Classical Music (specializing in Sitar), a Master in Indian Classical Music (specializing in Santoor), and a Master in English Literature. He then obtained a degree in Western Classical Music from the University of Washington, Washington, USA.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 8″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: Hazel brown
Family
Pandit Bhajan Sopori was born in a Kashmiri family.
parents and siblings
His father, Pandit Shambhu Nath Sopori, was a santoor player.
A photo of Pandit Bhajan Sopori’s father
wife and children
He was married to Indian professor Aparna Sopori. The couple has two sons named Sorabh Sopori and Abhay Sopori, who is also a santoor player.
Pandit Bhajan Sopori with his wife Aparna Sopori and son Abhay Sopori
Pandit Bhajan Sopori with his wife, sons and grandchildren
other relatives
His grandfather, Pandit Sansar Chand Sopori, was a santoor player.
Journey of a Santoor Player
Pandit Sopori was the eighth generation santoor player in his family. In his childhood, he began training in santoor playing from his father and grandfather, who were famous Indian santoor players. His first performance in a public concert was at the age of 5. When he was 10 years old, he got a chance to perform with his father at the Prayag Sangeet Samiti at Allahabad University. His performances set a standard in concerts that helped the Santoor become established as a solo instrument on various national and international platforms. Before this people were not much aware about Santoor. When he grew up, he started working as a musician and santoor player in All India Radio. From 1990 to 1993, he was transferred to Akashvani, Delhi, but then he decided to return to Jammu and Kashmir, as music had almost disappeared from the state. Talking about this in an interview he said,
When I was transferred to Delhi in 1990, I was in All India Radio. No music was produced from the valley for three years. When I decided to go back, there was no tabla player to accompany me. They were very scared (of the terrorists).”
Old picture of Pandit Bhajan Sopori
After returning to Jammu and Kashmir he started focusing on local folk music. He started composing folk music and he helped spread awareness about the importance of folk music. He composed a collection of prayers and Tarana-e-Watan (patriotic songs) with 8000 school and college students as the choir. This song was sung as a common prayer in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir. Later, Pandit Sopori composed ragas like Laleshwari, Patvanti and Nirmalakauns. He worked as a composer for more than 6000 songs in different languages like Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri, Sindhi, Urdu and Bhojpuri. He composed Hindi patriotic songs like ‘Bharat Bharat Hum Iski Santan’, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Naman Tujhko Mere Bharat’. Some of her recreated Hindi songs are ‘Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna,’ ‘Vijayi Vishwa Tiranga Pyaara,’ ‘Kadam Kadam Badhaaye Ja,’ and ‘Bharat Ki Beti.’ Apart from songs, he also composed music for ghazals of poets like Ghalib, Daag, Momin, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Kabir Das and Meera Bai. To promote Indian classical music in India, he founded a music academy SaMaPa (Sopori Academy for Music and Performing Arts), New Delhi in 2011.
Pandit Bhajan Sopori performing in a concert
He also conducted music classes for prisoners in Jammu and Kashmir. Under his academy he started a music award SaMaPa Vitasta Award in which the winner was given a cash prize of Rs 50,000. Pandit Bhajan composed the music for the tableaux of the Indian Republic Day Parade. In 2010, he won the first prize for Sangeet Natak Akademi’s tableau in the Republic Day Parade.
Awards and Honors
- Maharaja Travancore Swathi Tirunal Award 2019, Kerala
- Sangeet Ratna Srijan Shikhar Samman 2019, Delhi
- Honorary Doctorate (Honorary Degree) by Utkal Sanskriti University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 2018
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee National Award 2018, Delhi
- Sathakalaratna Awards 2018, Sathakalapeetam, Payyanur, Kerala
- Ustad Bale Khan Memorial Award 2018, Bengaluru
- Distinguished Service Award 2018 by Delhi Government, MTNL, NDMC and Health Care
- Foundation of India), Talkatora Stadium, Delhi
- Pandit Ramji Upadhyay Lifetime Achievement Award 2018, Delhi• PhD Art and Culture Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2018, Delhi
- Sangam National Award 2018, Delhi
- Shanti Devi Gangani Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2018, Delhi
- Shuddh Dhvani Samman 2018, Delhi
- Honorary Doctorate (Honorary Degree) by Hindustani Art and Music Society, Kolkata 2017
- Swati Tirunal Award 2017, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Upendra Bhanja Samman 2017, Delhi
- Munnu Guru Sangeet Puraskar (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2017, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Kashmir Music Club Shashrang Award 2017, Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir
- Himalayan Cultural Center Awards 2017, Delhi
- Ustad Hafeez Khan and Ustad Bashir Khan Award 2017, Delhi
- Dhrupad Shri (Title Honor) 2016, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Jammu and Kashmir Government Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 by Govt. Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
- Baramulla District Administration Samman Award 2016, Govt. of A) Jammu and Kashmir B) Baramulla C) Kashmir D) Jammu and Kashmir
- Baramulla District Administration Samman Award 2016, Govt. of A) Jammu and Kashmir B) Sopore C) Kashmir D) Jammu and Kashmir
- Rotary Sur Samrat Sangeet Ratna Samman 2016, Delhi
- Maraz Abdi Sangam Award 2016, Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir
- Sangeet Martand Samman (Title Award) 2015, Delhi
- Pride of India Lifetime Achievement Award 2015, Delhi
- 31st S. Radhakrishnan Memorial National Teachers and Media Awards 2015, Delhi
- Atal Bihari Media Excellence Award 2015, Delhi
- Atal Vaibhav Shikhar Samman 2015, Delhi
- DAV Distinguished Alumni Award 2015, Delhi
- Sangeet Vibhuti Samman (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2015, Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Global Literary Festival Honor 2015, Delhi
- Sargam Mandir Golden Jubilee Award 2014, Delhi
- Sangeet Shiromani Award 2014, Delhi
- P Jhunjhunwala XXIV National Excellence Award 2014, Delhi
- Art Karat Awards 2014, Delhi
- Indian Fine Arts Society Award 2013, Kingdom of Bahrain
- Center for Ancient Arts – Kosar Award 2013, Chandigarh
- Delhi Ratna Awards 2013, Delhi
- National Award by Govt. of Madhya Pradesh (Ustad Latif Khan Samman) 2012, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
- 19th Blockbuster Sur Aradhana Sangeet Ratna Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2012, Delhi
- ECSS Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2012, Delhi
- Best Citizen of India Awards 2011, Delhi
- Rajiv Gandhi Prestige Award 2011, Delhi
- S. Aggarwal Award 2010, Kolkata
- Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan Sangeet Bhushan Award 2010, Delhi
Pandit Bhajan Sopori receiving Sangeet Bhushan Award
- Ragaranjani Sangeet Bhushan Samman (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2010, Delhi
- Ninad Sangeet Kala Ratna Samman 2010, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
- N.Mathur Smriti Kumbh Award 2010, Udaipur, Rajasthan
- Nad Chetanya Samman 2010, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
- RAWA (Renaissance Artists and Writers Association) Awards 2010, Delhi
- Baba Alauddin Khan Award 2009, Delhi
- Ustad Chand Khan Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2009, Delhi
- Srijan Cultural and Social Development Award 2009, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
- Maa Shardey Samman (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2009, Ajmer, Rajasthan
- Maa Sharika Samman 2009, Faridabad, Haryana
- National Dogri Award 2008, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir
- Melodious Hansdhvani Samman 2008, Delhi
- Jammu and Kashmir Government Civil Award (Highest Civilian Award of Jammu and Kashmir) 2007, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
- Raag Sagar (Title Award) 2007, Delhi
- Pandit Gama Maharaj Samman (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2007, Delhi
- Sangeet Vibhuti Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2006, Delhi
- Shri Bhatt Kirti Puraskar (Lifetime Achievement Award) 2004, Delhi
- Akashvani Special Award 2004, All India Radio, Delhi
- Padma Shri 2004 (India’s fourth highest civilian award), Delhi 14th Shama Awards 2004, Delhi
Padmashree Award to Pandit Bhajan
- Munnu Guru Sangeet Smriti Samman 2004, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Kashmir Committee and KOA Awards 2004, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir
- Beenakar Samman (Title Honor) 2003, Kolkata
- Kashmir Overseas Association International Award 2003, Boston, USA
- Celebrate India Award, Denver 2000, USA
- Millennium Delhi Ratna Samman 2000, Delhi
- YMCA Merit Utsav Award 2000, Delhi
- Radio Kashmir Srinagar (All India Radio) Golden Jubilee Award 1998, Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir
- National Shiromani Award 1996, Delhi
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1993 (India’s highest performing arts award), Delhi
Pandit Bhajan Sopori receiving the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- Delhi Telugu Academy Award 1993, Delhi
- Sharda Samman 1993, Delhi
- Distinguished Leadership Award 1993, USA
- Kala Snehi Samman 1993, Delhi
- Punjab Sakha Award 1992, Delhi
- Kala Yogi Award (Title Honor) 1991, Mumbai
- Abhinav Kala Samman 1988, Bhopal
- National Flag of the Arab Republic of Egypt Award 1986, Egypt
- Ismailia International Folklore Festival Award 1986, Arab Republic of Egypt
- Akashvani Annual Award for Creative Work by All India Radio, Delhi 1985
- Akashvani Annual Award for Creative Work by All India Radio, Delhi 1984
- Akashvani Annual Award for Creative Work by All India Radio, Delhi 1983
- Akashvani Annual Award for Creative Work by All India Radio, Delhi 1979
Pandit Bhajan Sopori receiving the National All India Radio Award
- First Prize in State Music Competition 1963 (Santoor) by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages, Government. Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
Note: He has many other honors to his name.
Death
He died on 2 June 2022 from a prolonged illness caused by colon cancer. He was undergoing treatment at Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana, where he breathed his last. On his death his son said,
He was diagnosed with colon cancer in June last year. We admitted him to Fortis, Gurugram three weeks ago for immunotherapy treatment. It had no effect on him and his health deteriorated.”
His last rites were performed at Lodhi Road cremation ground in Delhi. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to share his grief, he said,
Very sad to hear about the sad demise of Padmashree Pandit Bhajan Sopori Sahab. A great son of the soil, he was a great figure in the world of classical Indian music who made the santoor his own. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to @abhaysopori and the rest of his family.”
Facts/General Knowledge
- Pandit Bhajan Sopori belonged to Sufiana Gharana.
- He was known as the “Saint of Santoor” and the “King of Strings”.
- Apart from Santoor, he played musical instruments like guitar, mouth organ and sarod.
- He was also a teacher, poet and writer.
- His name has been listed in various biographical note editions such as Famous India’s Who’s Who, The Asia Pacific Who’s Who, Asian Admirable Achievers, Personality of the Year and Kohinoor Personalities of Asia.
- His compositions were used as sound therapy for patients.
- In 2011, a Rs 5 stamp was dedicated to Pandit Bhajan Sopori by the Indian Postal Department.
- As of 2022, he is the youngest musician to serve in the National Orchestra of India (Vadya Vrinda).
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn