E-Paper
All roads lead to Harha Sarai
THE BIGGEST wholesale market of Purvanchal for consumer products, Harha Sarai and Dalmandi and adjoining localities normally buzzing with activity, wore a deserted look since Monday morning.
THE BIGGEST wholesale market of Purvanchal for consumer products, Harha Sarai and Dalmandi and adjoining localities normally buzzing with activity, wore a deserted look since Monday morning.
A ‘Hujum’ (crowd) of people including women, kids and elderly persons, was seen heading towards the house of Bharat Ratna Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan since morning. As the news of his demise came, a pall of gloom descended in and around the locality.
His five sons, Mehtab Hussain, Naiyyer Hussain, Janib Hussain, Kazim Hussian and Nazim, were sitting and sobbing near the mortal remains of Khan Saheb on the ground floor of the multi-storeyed house.
Three married daughters of the shehnai maestro, along with their young children, were also present there.
A man was reading Fatiha. Thousands of people including Governor TV Rajeswar Rao and some ministers of UP, arrived at the house and consoled the grieving family members.
Thousands of people braving the scorching sun, were assembled on the rooftop and at Beniabagh to have a last look of their beloved artist.
The mortal remains of Khan Saheb kept in a coffin, was shifted from his ancestral house in Harha Sarai to Beniabagh, just 150 metres away, at 12 noon.
A big white pandal had been erected by the district administration which had the capacity to accommodate at least 5000 people. The coffin was placed in the same pandal. Besides, another such pandal had also been erected on the same ground.
All five sons were sitting near the coffin. People in a long queue were offering their tributes to the departed soul. Saiyad Wazir Haider, sitting near the coffin was reciting the holy ‘Quran’.
