A pictorial tribute to santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori

Santoor legend Pandit Bhajan Sopori passed away on Thursday, following a battle with colon cancer. Sopori is survived by his wife and two sons Sorabh and Abhay, who also play santoor. (Express Archive)

Regarded as the cultural bridge of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country, Pandit Bhajan Sopori is hailed as the “Saint of the Santoor” and the “King of Strings”. (Express Archive)

For his immense contribution to Indian music and culture, Pandit Bhajan Sopori has been honoured with prestigious awards like Padmashri, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and J&K Government Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honours. (Express Archive)

Born in Srinagar into a family of musicians of the 'Sufiana Gharana', he was the great-grandson of Pandit Shankar Pandit ji. (Express Archive)

Borrowing a rich musical legacy, he learned the instrument from his grandfather, Pandit Samsar Chand Sopori, and his father Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori. (Express Archive)

Being a highly musically-learned person, he has a double Masters degree in Indian Classical music. Also, he has studied Western Classic Music at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. (Express Archive)

Pharmaceutical companies have released his highly commended albums on sound therapy like ‘Doctor to Patient’, ‘Naad Yoga on the Santoor’, etc, states his website. (Express Archive)

Apart from concerts and his individual practice, he has also composed music for films, commercials, documentaries, serials, operas, choirs, etc. (Express Archive)

He has composed music for over 6,000 songs in varied languages like Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri, Sindhi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Himachali, Rajasthani, Telegu, Tamil, etc. and also foreign languages like Persian, Arabic, etc. (Express Archive)

His acclaimed work includes compositions for various musical genres like Ghazal, Nazam, Geet, Bhajan, Choirs, Devotional (Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Christian), Children songs, etc. (Express Archive)