The sound of the shehnai began to be considered auspicious. And for this reason it is still played in temples and is an indispensable component of any North Indian wedding. In the past, the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts, Till recently it was used only in temples and weddings. The credit for bringing this instrument on to the classical stage goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan.
As a five-year-old, Bismillah Khan played gilli-danda near a pond in the ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar. He would regularly go to the nearby Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri ‘Chaita’, at the end of which he would earn a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg, a prize given by the local Maharaja. This happened 80 years ago, and the little boy has travelled far to earn the highest civilian award in India – the Bharat Ratna.
1. The shehnai became an indispensable component of any North Indian wedding because ……………..
A. it was the only music played in North India.
B. there were no other musicians in NorthIndia who played other instruments.
C. the sound of the shehnai began to be considered auspicious.
D. All of these three
2. The word ‘ensemble’ here means ……………..
A. different kinds of musical instruments,
B. a group or unit of complementary instruments to create a single effect.
C. playing on a musical instrument.
D. All of these three
3. The credit goes to Bismillah Khan for ……………
A. playing shehnai with great mastery.
B. playing shehnai at royal courts.
C. bringing shehnai to the classical stage.
D. playing shehnai at weddings.
4. ‘Chaita’ is ……………..
A. an award given by the local Maharaja.
B. an ancient game like gilli-danda.
C. a prayer sung at temples.
D. a Bhojpuri eatable.
