Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar has died in a hospital in the US, aged 92.
His family said he had been admitted to the Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego last week, but had failed to recover fully from surgery.Shankar gained widespread international recognition through his association with The Beatles. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described him as a ‘national treasure and global ambassador of India’s cultural heritage’.In a statement quoted by Reuters, Shankar’s wife Sukanya and daughter Anoushka said he had recently undergone surgery which would have ‘potentially given him a new lease of life’.’Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the surgeons and doctors taking care of him, his body was not able to withstand the strain of the surgery,’ they said.’We were at his side when he passed away. ‘Although it is a time for sorrow and sadness, it is also a time for all of us to give thanks and to be grateful that we were able to have him as a part of our lives. He will live forever in our hearts and in his music.’Anoushka Shankar is herself a sitar player. Shankar’s other daughter is Grammy award winning singer Norah Jones. – www.bbc.co.uk
