Sharan Rani

Sharan Rani Backliwal (1929–2008), born Sharan Rani Mathur in Old Delhi, holds a distinguished position in the history of Indian classical music. Coming from a non-musical, conservative family, she pursued music against strong social resistance at a time when professional musicianship was largely restricted to hereditary traditions. Her rigorous training under Ustad Allauddin Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan shaped her into a refined sarod exponent with a deep understanding of raga, structure, and tonal balance. In addition to music, she also trained in Kathak and Manipuri dance, reflecting her broad artistic grounding. 

From the late 1930s onward, Sharan Rani maintained an active concert career spanning more than seventy years. She performed extensively across India and internationally, becoming one of the earliest Indian artists to record for UNESCO and leading record labels in Europe and the United States. Revered national and international figures described her as a cultural ambassador of India, acknowledging her role in presenting Indian classical music with dignity and depth on the world stage. To preserve the fading dhrupad tradition, some of her recitals uniquely featured both tabla and pakhawaj accompaniment. 

Beyond performance, Sharan Rani was a committed scholar and teacher. She authored The Divine Sarod, a landmark work documenting the instrument’s history and evolution, and taught students through the traditional guru–shishya parampara without charging fees. Her lifelong dedication to preservation is also reflected in her donation of a rare collection of 379 historical musical instruments to the National Museum, New Delhi, now housed in a permanent gallery bearing her name. Honored with major awards, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan, Sharan Rani’s legacy endures as a symbol of artistic excellence, scholarship, and cultural service.