Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma dies at 84

Veteran santoor player and music composer Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma died on Tuesday morning following a heart attack. He was 84. He was also suffering from renal ailments and was on regular dialysis.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, one of India's most well known classical musicians, was due to perform in Bhopal next week.

A Padma Vibhushan recipient, Sharma was born in Jammu in 1938 and is believed to be the first musician to have played Indian classical music on the santoor, a folk instrument from Jammu and Kashmir.

As one half of musician duo Shiv-Hari, he composed music with flute legend Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia for an array of films such as "Silsila", "Lamhe" and "Chandni".

His son Rahul Sharma is also a santoor player.

Sarod player Amjad Ali Khan paid tributes to the santoor maestro and tweeted that 'the passing away of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharmaji marks the end of an era. He was the pioneer of Santoor and his contribution is unparalleled. For me, it’s a personal loss and I will miss him no end. May his soul rest in peace. His music lives on forever! Om Shanti.'