Annapurna Devi: A Biography Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

Annapurna Devi, say you, say you
The story of your life,
How did Pt. Ravi Shankar treat you,
How did he
As for to surpass you,
Suppress your talent,
Annapurna?

O the daughter of Allauddin Khan and Madanmanjari Devi,
Indian surbahar player of Indian music
And the Maihar gharana.
Born as Roshanara Khan,
Later Annapurna Devi,
The wife of Pt.Ravi Shankar,
Ustad, Pandit Ravi Shankar,
The great artiste, classical artiste!

How did he come to seeking
For your hands,
How did he learn it from your father
And how,
How did he turn away from
You,
Annapurna Devi
Even misleading his son too?

Annapurna, after knowing you,
The story of your life,
I can say his much
That talent does not know relation,
It is a thing of envy and jealousy
Which Pt.Ravi Shankar felt it
After seeing your performance!

Let the world call him
A great artiste,
A sitar layer of world repute,
But I know it,
Where does it lie in talent,
Not in media coverage,
But in scholarship unsharable.

Talent does not have any friends
And relations,
It is almost alone and single
And even if has,
They will vie with
And will be envious of
As was Ravi Shankar jealous of you.

Your rare performance of Raag Kaushiki
Panditji could nor bear it
And turned hostile to you
As was the impression of the tuning
Which was really your soul-stirring music,
Heart-stringing one,
O the jewel of the Maihar gharana (school) ,
The genius extraordinary!

Annapurna, your surbahars
As the bouquets of pleasantries,
The morning breaking,
The sun rays glistening
At daybreak
On the lotus and the cottage,
The silvery moon orbs
Lit around
Dazzling it all and taking me away.