When Pandit Bhimsen Joshi died in January 2011 at the age of 88, India lost one of the last great masters of the Kirana gharana and arguably the finest khyal vocalist of the 20th century. The Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, had been conferred upon him in 2009 — recognition, belated by many accounts, of a lifetime of musical achievement that had transformed the way the nation listened to classical music.

Bhimsen Joshi was born in 1924 in Gadag, in what is now Karnataka. He ran away from home at the age of 11 in search of a music guru, traveling through North India and meeting several masters before finding his destined teacher — Sawai Gandharva of the Kirana gharana — in Kundgol. He lived with Gandharva for years, absorbing not just technique but the philosophical depth that distinguishes true mastery from mere proficiency.

The Kirana gharana is known for its emphasis on pure tone, deep emotional expression, and the unhurried expansion of a raga. Joshi embodied these qualities while adding his own distinctive intensity. His voice had a quality that listeners described as something between devotion and abandon — a sound that could move audiences to tears or to stunned silence.

He was not merely a classical purist. His rendering of bhajans, particularly the Mirabai compositions and devotional songs in honor of Vitthal, reached audiences far beyond the classical concert hall. His version of "Raag Bhairavi" and his presentations of morning ragas became touchstones for generations of listeners.

The annual Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in Pune, which Joshi established in his guru's memory, became one of the most prestigious classical music events in India, a living institution that carries his legacy forward.

India produces many musicians. Once in a generation, it produces a Bhimsen Joshi.