Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Indian Stamp

This article is about the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Indian Stamp from 2014. Joshi was one of the greatest Indian vocalists in the Hindustani classical traditional. In particular, he was famous for the khayal form form of singing. The stamp was a part of a larger group of eight stamps featuring important classical musicians of India. In fact, I have already written an article about the stamp in this set featuring the female vocalist D.K. Pattammal. Additionally, if you have an interest in Indian music you can read my articles about stamps honoring Vishnu Digambur Paluskar and Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande.

Bhimsen Joshi

Bhimsen Josh was born in Gadag in the Dharwad district of Karnataka, the largest state in southern India, on February 4, 1922. He was from a Brahmin family and his father was a school teacher and his mother died when he was young, though he soon had a stepmother to raise him. Incredibly, he was the oldest of sixteen children. His musical acumen was evident early and he was drawn to the drone sounds of the harmonium and tanpura.

Joshi first studied music with Channappa of Kurtakoti, then with Pandit Shyamacharaya Joshi, a priest and classical singer. When Pandit Shyamacharaya Joshi went to Bombay to record his songs, Bhimsen went with him. Partway through the session, however, the elder man became ill and asked Bhimsen to finish singing for him. These recordings were a critical point in establishing the young Joshi as a talented musician.

After hearing Pandit Sawal Gandharva perform, Joshi wanted to study with this great singer. In 1936, Gandharva agreed to take on the young musician as a student. Then, at the age of twenty-one in 1943, Joshi moved to Mumbai to pursue work as a musician on the radio.

Later Career

Joshi was a serious classical musician who had an incredible technique. His repertoire featured traditional, often complex ragas. He was also famous for his Hindi, Marathi, and Kannada Bhajan devotional songs. In addition, from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, Joshi also recorded songs a number of songs for use in Indian movies. Beginning in 1964, he began international touring and over the next two decades performed throughout Europe and North America as well as India.

In 1988, Bhisen Joshi composed the “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” song at the request of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The song and an accompanying video was created to celebrate the unity and diversity of Indian culture. Furthermore, it made Joshi an important national, patriotic figure. His mix of classical training with an appeal to a broad public made Joshi an iconic figure in Indian music. Josh is said to have recorded the largest repertoire of Hindustani vocal music of any artist. Joshi died of pneumonia on January 24, 2011 at the age of 88.

The Stamp

The Bhimsen Joshi stamp was one of eight stamps issued by India in 2014 to celebrate Indian musicians. In addition to Joshi, it also features other international superstars like Ali Akhbar Khan and Ravi Shankar. This article describes the public event for their release. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, stated, “that as we pay tribute to eight of the greatest music maestros of contemporary India, we celebrate their life and work and their matchless legacy.” The design of the stamps, which appear singly or in a commemorative mini-sheet, is by Sankha Samanta. The printing was by the SPP company in Hyderabad.

Finally, make sure to check out the music of this important musician. Below is one of my favorite recordings of his.