The indomitable spirit of 98-year-old Shanno Khurana, one of India’s oldest living Hindustani classical vocalists, is nothing short of extraordinary. For the exponent of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, music remains the very essence of her life. “Hindustani music is like an ocean. One can learn so much if the seeker delves deep into it,” says the veteran, tracing her journey with an incident that proved to be a turning point in her life.
It was 1945. Jeevan Lal Mattu, the programme executive at Lahore Radio Station (also credited with discovering Mohammed Rafi) asked an 18-year-old Shanno if she would like to sing for the radio. Without a moment’s hesitation, she accepted, and her first recording was of raag Multani. She received an honorarium of ₹25, a substantial amount for a young artiste in those days. As she was leaving, Jeevan Lal Mattu asked her if she could tell him the difference between the rishabh and gandhar in raag Todi and Multani. Shanno was embarrassed that she did not know the answer. At that moment, she decided to undergo rigorous training in Hindustani music.
The exponent of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana says she still has much more to learn.
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Hailing from the princely state of Jodhpur (present day Rajasthan), Shanno was originally named Raj Kumari. Her passion for music became evident early in her life as she would listen to Roshan Ara Begum, Hirabai Barodekar and Narayanrao Vyas on the radio for hours and later try to emulate their singing. However, the social milieu of the time was far from encouraging for women who aspired to become professional musicians.
When Shanno was eight years old, Pt. Raghunath Rao Musalgaonkar, nephew of the legendary Gwalior maestro Raja Bhaiya Poonchwale, would visit their home to teach music to one of her elder brothers. The little girl would secretly watch the lessons. She pleaded with her father to allow her to learn as well. Her father eventually relented.
Recalling her first guru, Shanno says his scholarship, singing and conduct left a deep impression on her. She married Dr. Parmeshwar Lal Khurana, a physician serving in the Air Force and moved to Lahore. Her husband shared the same passion for music and supported her to pursue it. After Partition, she moved back to Delhi. “Even during those challenging times, my husband encouraged me to continue with my practise. He did not like me being just a housemaker. So, eminent tabla artiste, Pt Chatur Lal began coming home to accompany me during my daily riyaaz.”
Besides her pioneering comparative study of the stylistic nuances of eight major gharanas of Hindustani music, she has also carried out extensive research on the folk music of Rajasthan
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Her association with All India Radio enriched her artistry. At the same time, on the advice of musicologist, Thakur Jaidev Singh, she joined Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, and became the first woman to earn a doctorate in music.
After much effort, she underwent advanced training under legendary Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. He was initially not ready to take her on as his disciple.
Though rooted in the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, her music also reflects the influence of the Gwalior and Agra traditions. This rare synthesis lent her music remarkable depth and versatility. Besides her pioneering comparative study of the stylistic nuances of eight major gharanas of Hindustani music, she has also carried out extensive research on the folk music of Rajasthan — both of which have been published as books and regarded as landmark contributions to Indian music.
Receiving the Padma Shri from the then President R. Venkataraman in 1991.
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Besides being an acclaimed khayal exponent, Shanno is also an accomplished thumri, tappa, maand, hori, kajri and chaiti singer. Equally gifted as an actor, she brought emotional depth to her roles in plays. In 1956, at the age of 29, she accepted theatre director Sheila Bhatia’s invitation to perform in the musical production Heer Ranjha. She captivated the audience with her voice, diction and performance.
Shanno later worked on another Punjabi love story, Sohni Mahiwal, creating a unique Indian classical opera for which she wove together nearly 40 raags. During the 1960s and 1970s, she further enriched Indian musical theatre by creating landmark operas such as Jahanara, Chitralekha, and Sundari — all of which received widespread acclaim.
Shanno remains intellectually vibrant, generously sharing the knowledge she has acquired through decades of relentless sadhana. Even after nearly a century of life devoted to music, she quietly says: “I still have so much more to learn.”
Those words embody the lifelong spirit of a true seeker — for whom music is not an achievement, but an endless journey of discovery.
Published – August 18, 2026 03:48 pm IST
