HT Brunch Cover Story: The life and travels of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

The legendary flautist shares inspiring little tales from a life well-lived

“It was dark and lonely. I was somewhere between UP and MP, all alone. I had no food or water, and could only pray there were no wild animals around. All I could do was wait for the next train.”

Production and coordination: Ananya Ghosh ; Make-up and hair: Rashmi Shastri(Shivangi Kulkarni)

“When I play, I close my eyes, because then I am playing only for God”

“Last year, for the first time in 28 years, I did not go to Rotterdam Music Conservatory”

Pandit ji with Pushpanjali, his daughter-in-law who plays the role of his manager and is the ‘rock’ in his life, and (right) Sathya Saran his biographer and the author of this piece

“The Pakistanis said, ‘We like the same foods, the same music, why do they say we are Muslims, you are Hindus?’”

“Name any small town and there is a good chance I have performed there ”

“[At the Vatican ], the tabla echoes off the walls and disturbs the overall effect. We are still discussing [that when we play there ] maybe we go without the tabla.”