https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Siddheshwari_DeviSiddheshwari Devi - Revision history2026-08-23T09:25:04ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siddheshwari_Devi&diff=114836&oldid=prev1.186.181.250 at 11:32, 27 March 20212021-03-27T11:32:13Z<p></p>
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{{Infobox musical artist<br />
|name = Siddheshwari Devi<br />
|image = Siddheshwari Devi.jpg<br />
|background = solo_singer<br />
|birth_name = <br />
|birth_date =8 August 1908<br />
|birth_place =[[Varanasi|Benares]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1977|3|18|1908}}<br />
|death_place = [[New Delhi]], [[India]]<br />
|origin = <br />
|genre = [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani]]<br />
|occupation = Musician<br />
|years_active =<br />
<br />
|label = <br />
|website = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Siddheswari Devi''' (1908– 18 March 1977)<ref>[https://books.google.de/books?id=QcQJAQAAMAAJ&q=SIDDHESWARI+DEVI,+1977&dq=SIDDHESWARI+DEVI,+1977&hl=de&sa=X&redir_esc=y Journal of the Indian Musicological Society], 1977, p. 51</ref> was a legendary Hindustani singer from [[Varanasi]], [[India]], known as ''Maa'' (mother). Born in 1908, she lost her parents early and was brought up by her aunt, the noted singer [[Rajeshwari Devi]].<br />
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==Initiation into music==<br />
Despite living in a musical household, Siddheswari came to music by accident. <br />
Rajeshwari had arranged musical training for her own daughter, Kamleshwari, while Siddheswari would do small chores around the house. <br />
Once, while the noted [[sarangi]] player ''Siyaji Mishra'' was teaching Kamleshwari, she was unable to repeat the [[tappa]] that she was being taught. Rajeshwari ran out of patience, and started to cane Kamleshwari, who cried out for help.<br />
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The only person to help her was her close friend Siddheswari, who ran from the kitchen to hug her cousin, and took the thrashing on her own body. At this point, Siddheswari told her weeping cousin, "It's not so difficult to sing what Siyaji Maharaj was telling you." Siddheswari then showed her how to sing it, performing the whole tune perfectly, much to the amazement of everyone.<br />
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The next day, Siyaji Maharaj came to Rajeshwari, and asked to adopt Siddheswari into his own family (they were childless). So Siddheswari moved in with the couple, eventually becoming a great friend and support for them.<br />
<br />
This moving incident was very vivid in Siddheswari's mind, and is detailed in the biography Maa co-authored by her daughter Savita Devi.<ref name=maa>''Maa...Siddheshwari'' Vibha S. Chauhan and Savita Devi, Roli Books, New Delhi, 2000</ref><br />
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==Musical career==<br />
Subsequently, she also trained under [[Rajab Ali Khan]] of [[Dewas]] and [[Inayat Khan (musician)|Inayat Khan]] of Lahore, but considered her guru mainly [[Bade Ramdas]].<br />
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She sang [[khyal]], [[thumri]] (her forte) and short classical forms as ''dadra'', ''chaiti'', ''kajri'' etc. On several occasions she would sing perform through the night, for example on the overnight boating expeditions of [[Maharaja of Darbhanga]].<ref name=maa/><br />
<br />
In 1989, noted director [[Mani Kaul]] made an award-winning documentary, ''[[Siddheshwari]]'', on her life<ref>[http://www.nfdcindia.com/view_film.php?film_id=190&categories_id=8 NFDC Siddheshwari (film)], 1989, by [[Mani Kaul]], produced by the [[National Film Development Corporation of India]]</ref><br />
<br />
She won many accolades during her career, including: <br />
* [[Padma Shri]] by the Government of India (1966)<br />
* Honorary D.Lit. degree by the [[Ravindra Bharati Vishwavidyalaya]] in [[Kolkata]] (1973)<br />
* Deshikottam degree by the [[Vishwa Bharati]] Vishwavidyalaya.<br />
<br />
She died on 18 March 1977 in [[New Delhi]]. Her daughter [[Savita Devi]] is also a musician and lives in [[Delhi]].<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
*[http://www.underscorerecords.com/artists/details.php?art_id=56 Short biography at Underscore Records]<br />
* Fragments of her music can be heard from the collection at The Sangeet Kendra, Ahmedabad: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005807/http://sangeetkendra.org/Audio/03%20Siddheshwari%20Devi%20-%20Vocal%20-%20Dole%20Re%20Joban%20Madmati.mp3]<br />
* [http://www.kamat.com/indica/music/29403.htm Picture at Kamat's Potpourri]<br />
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{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Siddheswari}}<br />
[[Category:1908 births]]<br />
[[Category:1977 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Hindustani singers]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]<br />
[[Category:Thumri]]<br />
[[Category:Musicians from Varanasi]]<br />
[[Category:Indian female classical singers]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian singers]]<br />
[[Category:Women Hindustani musicians]]<br />
[[Category:Singers from Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women singers]]<br />
[[Category:Women musicians from Uttar Pradesh]]</div>1.186.181.250