Khan, Ustad Enayet

Enayet Khan

Khan, Ustad Enayet (1894-1938) sitar and surbahar player, was born in Uttar Pradesh. His father, Emdad Khan, was an artist of the sitar-surbahar gharana and it was under him that Enayet Khan's musical career began.

Enayet Khan earned recognition as a musician early. He was only 28 years old when he was engaged as a family performer of Birendra Kishore Raychowdhury, zamindar of Gouripur. Though a non-Bengali, Enayet Khan settled permanently in Gouripur where he popularised the sitar-surbahar gharana of school developed by his father.

He made many disciples in Gouripur and Kolkata, among whom were many celebrities including Birendra Kishor Raychowdhury, Bipin Chandra Pal, Srinibas Nug, Birendra Mitra, Jitendramohan Sengupta, Jyotishchandra Chowdhury, Bimalakanta Raychowdhury, Jnanodakanta Lahiri Chowdhury, Dhrubtara Joshee, John Gomes, Amiyakanta Bhattacharya, Niradakanta Lahiri, Manoranjan Mukhopadhyay, Renuka Saha etc.

He was also an expert in dhrupad, kheyal and thungri.

Enayet Khan's talent was transmitted to his two sons, Belayet Khan and Imrat Khan, and to his grandson, Rais Khan, all of whom rendered great services to the enrichment of Bangla music. [Mobarak Hossain Khan]