Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Pt Rajan Mishra died due to COVID-19 complications at a hospital in Delhi on Sunday evening, his nephew said. He was 70.
Mishra, one of the foremost exponents of khayal gayaki along with his brother Sajan Mishra, had a heart attack in the afternoon and then another in the evening, his nephew Amit said.
"Pandit Rajan Mishra ji passed away around 6.30 pm in Delhi''s St Stephen hospital. He had COVID-19 and was admitted to the hospital. He had taken the first dose of the vaccine about 15-20 days ago. He had a heart attack in the afternoon and he had another attack at around 5.30," Amit said.
Mishra was awarded the Padma Bhushan. The brothers belonged to the Banaras gharana. Fellow musician and close friend Vishwa Mohan Bhatt first alerted people about the Mishra family struggling to find a ventilator in the city, reeling under oxygen scarcity and an explosion in the number of COVID-19 cases that has stretched the health infrastructure to its absolute limits.
"Padma Bhushan Pandit Rajan Mishra (classical singer) urgently needs Ventilator (sic). At present, he is in St Stephen hospital, Tees Hazari, Delhi... Please help immediately," Bhatt had said on Twitter earlier in the day.
But Mishra's conditioned worsened and he could not be moved to another hospital.
News of the death of the singer sent shockwaves through the world of music and elsewhere too.
Among those who condoled his death was Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The death of Pandit Rajan Mishra ji, who left an indelible mark in the world of classical music, is saddening. The death of Mishra ji, who belonged to Banaras Gharana, is an irreparable loss to the music world. My condolences to his family and fans in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," the PM tweeted.
Bhatt also tweeted his condolences."Unbelievable shocking news... Pt Rajan Mishra succumbed to Corona and cardiac arrest... such a big loss to Indian classical music world... lost a true friend... may his soul rest in peace," he said.
