Pandit Shivnath Mishra of the Banaras gharana is associated with which instrument?

Explanation

Pandit Shivnath Mishra is a well-known sitar player of the Banaras (Varanasi) gharana. He belongs to a family of musicians of Varanasi and is known for his traditional style of playing.

Shivnath Mishra was born in Varanasi, a city with a long and rich tradition of music. He learnt the sitar from his family and from senior musicians of the Banaras tradition. He has performed widely in India and abroad and has trained many students, including foreign students who come to Varanasi to learn Indian music. His son, Pandit Deobrat Mishra, is also a well-known sitar player, and the two often perform together. Through his teaching and performances, he has helped to keep the musical traditions of Varanasi alive.

Varanasi is one of the most important centres of Hindustani music. It is famous for the Banaras gharana of tabla, founded by Pandit Ram Sahai, whose great players include Kishan Maharaj and Samta Prasad; for the Banaras style of thumri, dadra, chaiti and kajari singing, linked with singers such as Siddheshwari Devi, Rasoolan Bai and Girija Devi; and for the shehnai of Ustad Bismillah Khan. Pandit Ravi Shankar was also born in Varanasi.

The sitar is a long-necked plucked string instrument of Hindustani music. It has a gourd resonator, movable curved frets, playing strings and sympathetic strings. It is played with a wire plectrum (mizrab) worn on the index finger. Its origin is traditionally linked with Amir Khusrau, although historians believe that it developed in the 18th century. Famous sitar players include Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Imrat Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Anoushka Shankar and Arvind Parikh.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Tabla: the Banaras gharana of tabla is linked with Kishan Maharaj and Samta Prasad.
• ✗Sarangi is linked with Ram Narayan.
• ✗Shehnai: the great shehnai player of Varanasi was Bismillah Khan.