Ashutosh Bhattacharya was a tabla artist from Banaras. He belonged to the Banaras (Benares) gharana of Hindustani classical music. He was a practicing Ayurvedic doctor and a guru. He was affectionately known as “Ashu Babu” in classical music circles. In 1966, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Ashutosh Bhattacharya – Hindustani Tabla Artist and Music Educator
Ashutosh Bhattacharya was born on 17 March 1917 in Banaras, British India, into a family of Ayurvedic doctors. Both his father and grandfather practiced Ayurvedic medicine. But young Ashutosh was inclined towards music since childhood.
At age 8, he began learning pakhawaj from Pandit Ram Nath Mishra. After a few years, he switched to tabla and started learning from Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, the uncle of Kishan Maharaj. He followed the Benares tradition.
He gave his first stage performance at the age of 21
In 1937, he accompanied sarod maestro Allauddin Khan at a music concert in Allahabad, marking his first stage performance. Over the years, he accompanied legendary musicians like Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and Ustad Vilayat Khan. He also practiced Ayurvedic medicine at his clinic in Varanasi. He passed away on 9 February 2004 in Varanasi, after a brief illness. Later, his son, Debabrata Bhattacharya, carried forward his legacy.
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