Consider the following statements regarding musicians and their instruments.

1. Ramnad V Raghavan was a Chennai-based musician who played Mridangam.

2. Ustad Asad Ali Khan was a famous active Rudra Veena player and the master of one of the four schools of 'Dhrupad", the Khander School.

3. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, a famous santoor player, was awarded with Padma Vibhushan in 2005.

4. Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram is an Indian percussionist who plays Carnatic music with Ghatam and is known the God of Ghatam.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct option is D

 The correct answer is: (d) Only 1, 2 and 4

• Statement 1 – Correct
  Ramnad V Raghavan was a renowned Mridangam player and taught at Wesleyan University, USA. He was born in Chennai.
• Statement 2 – Correct
  Ustad Asad Ali Khan was one of the last surviving Rudra Veena players, and an exponent of the Khandar bani (school) of Dhrupad.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect
  Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma did receive the Padma Vibhushan, but in 2001, not 2005.
• Statement 4 – Correct
  T.H. Vinayakram, popularly known as "Vikku" Vinayakram, is a legendary Ghatam player and is referred to as the “God of Ghatam”.

 Information Booster:

• Mridangam is the primary percussion instrument in Carnatic music.
• Rudra Veena is a rare string instrument used in Dhrupad music.
• Santoor is a trapezoid-shaped stringed instrument popularized in classical Hindustani music by Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma.
• Ghatam is a clay pot percussion instrument used in Carnatic concerts.

 Additional Information:

• Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma passed away in 2022 and is credited with bringing Santoor into mainstream classical music.
• Ustad Asad Ali Khan received the Padma Bhushan in 2008.
• T.H. Vinayakram also received Padma Bhushan and was part of the Grammy-winning Shakti group.