Hyderabad: Tomb of the legendary Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who passed away in 1968, is currently being restored after years of gross neglect.
Ghulam Ali Khan was buried at Dairah-e-Mir Momin in the old city.
Surprisingly, most people do not know that his resting place is in the city of pearls and it is inside a small white tomb with green jaali doors in all its four sides is now undergoing restoration.
Principal secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development), Arvind Kumar shared photos of the restoration work on his Twitter account.
Taking to Twitter, Kumar said on Sunday, “On the occasion of his death anniversary (April 25th), restoring the grave tomb of Padma Bhushan Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Saaheb, the greatest classical exponent of Patiala Gharana at the Dairah-e-Mir Momin, Sultan Shahi, Hari Bowli Road…”
Padma Bhushan awardee, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan belongs to the Kasur Patiala Gharana and is considered as the ‘Tansen’ of modern era. He was born on April 2, 1902, in Kasur village (now in Pakistan) of undivided Punjab. He found his home in India many years after Partition — he lived in Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
The musician of the Patiala Gharana spent a considerable time in Hyderabad where he passed away after a prolonged illness, died on April 25, 1968, at Basheerbagh Palace, Hyderabad.
There is a road in Basheerbagh named after him called the Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Marg.
Ustad served in the Nizam government’s specialized field of music and arts. The Nizam had both Western and Indian musical units. The Indian unit had 108 employees in the rolls, including Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Other great musicians like Pandit Maniram, Pandit Motiaram, and Begum Akhtar were also part of the Nizam’s music department.
Some of the biggest hits by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan included Prem Jogan Ban Ke from A Asif’s magnum opus Mughal-e-Azam in raag Sohini, thumris Yaad Piya Ki Aaye and Kiya Karun Sajini among others.
