Chhote Rahimat Khan

Chhote Rahimat Khan, born in 1959, is a senior Hindustani classical sitar player belonging to the Bande Ali Khan (Beenkar) Gharana. He comes from a long-established musical family originally associated with Dharwad and Gwalior. His primary training was under his father, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, and he was also deeply influenced by his grandfather, Sitar Ratna Rahimat Khan (born 1863), a disciple of the legendary Ustad Bande Ali Khan. He additionally trained with his elder brothers, continuing the family’s multi-generational sitar tradition.

Sitar Ratna Rahimat Khan played a significant role in the historical development of the sitar, including the transition from the three-string to the seven-string instrument, and in bringing together elements of instrumental khayal and instrumental dhrupad. This legacy is reflected in Chhote Rahimat Khan’s style, which combines Gayaki Ang, aiming to reproduce vocal nuances on the sitar, with Tantakari Ang, the traditional instrumental approach.

In recognition of his talent at a young age, he won second prize at the All India Radio Music Competition in Dharwad (1978) at the age of nineteen, and later received first prize at the Yuva Sangeet Nrithya Mahotsav organised by the South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur, in 1987. He has been a regular performing artist on AIR Dharwad and AIR Panaji (Goa) and holds a Top Grade artist in All India Radio.

Apart from performance, Chhote Rahimat Khan has contributed to music direction. He composed music for Vadhachakra (1992), the first Marathi film produced in Goa, and for the Konkani telefilm Tulsi (1994). He has also provided live music for stage productions, including Kālidāsa’s Abhijnana Shakuntalam, staged in 2005.

He has served for several years as the Head of the Sitar Faculty at Kala Academy, Goa, and has performed widely across India as well as internationally, with concerts in countries such as the United Kingdom, Portugal, China, France, Finland, Malaysia, and Singapore.