Pandit Bhimsen Joshi birth anniversary: From a small-town boy to Bharat Ratna

The life of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, whose birth centenary is on February 4, continues to be a source of inspiration for many youngsters who are passionate about music

Mention Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and every music lover of Dharwad will tell you a story about him as a maverick boy growing up in north Karnataka towns. The young genius who followed processions of musical bands forgetting to return home, who led anomadic life in pursuit of a ‘guru’ and sang bhajans to entertain ticket collectors while travelling ticketless in trains...

The small-town boy went on to become a legendary vocalist and a Bharat Ratna. The life of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, whose birth centenary is on February 4, continues to be a source of inspiration for many youngsters who are passionate about music.

Born in 1922 at Ron in what is today Gadag district, Bhimsen Joshi was the eldest among 16 children born to Gururaj Joshi and Godavaribai. He left home at a young age in pursuit of music and a suitable guru. The first ticketless journey was to Bijapur (now Vijayapura) and then to Pune, and subsequently to many music schools and gurus in many places. He went to Khandwa, Gwalior, Jalandhar and many other places, only to return to Dharwad district where he found his guru – Pandit Sawai Gandharva at Kundagol.