Sharan Rani Backliwal, Sitar Player
Sitar Player

Sharan Rani Backliwal

Born 9 April 1929 · Delhi — Died 8 April 2008

First prominent female sarod player who popularized the instrument internationally.

Sharan Rani was an Indian classical sarod player and music scholar. Her private collection of 379 musical instruments ranging from the 15th to the 19th century is now part of the "Sharan Rani Backliwal Gallery of Musical Instruments" at the National Museum, New Delhi

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A detail that
surprised us

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Sharan Rani’s collection of 379 antique musical instruments from across India is displayed at the National Museum, making it one of the most comprehensive private archives of historical Indian instruments.

The Story

1
🎶 In 1939, as a young girl in Old Delhi, Sharan Rani defied her conservative family's wishes to begin learning the sarod under Ustad Allauddin Khan and his son Ali Akbar Khan, entering a male-dominated field where instrumental music was seen as unsuitable for respectable women.
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🎤 By the 1950s, Sharan Rani was among the earliest artists to record for UNESCO and major Western record labels, marking her emergence on the international stage decades before many Indian classical musicians gained global recognition.
3In 1953, she completed her Master of Arts from Delhi University while simultaneously pursuing intense musical training, blending academic rigor with classical arts during a time when few women balanced both paths.
4🥁 Concerned about the fading Dhrupad tradition, Sharan Rani uniquely performed solo sarod recitals accompanied by both tabla and pakhawaj drums, a rare practice preserving an ancient musical dialogue that was disappearing by the late 20th century.

🏅 Awards & Honours

1968
Padma Shri
2000
Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Despite coming from a conservative business family in Old Delhi, Sharan Rani began learning sarod secretly in the late 1930s, a time when female instrumentalists were almost nonexistent in India.

🖼️

Through the Years

1 photograph from the archives
Sharanrani in Tehran
Sharanrani in Tehran

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Old Delhi
Sharan Rani Mathur was born in the walled city of Old Delhi into a conservative Hindu family of businessmen and educationists.
1929
📚
Education
Begins Sarod training
Despite familial opposition, she began learning sarod under Ustad Allauddin Khan and his son Ali Akbar Khan.
c.1939
📚
Education
Completes M.A. from Delhi University
Sharan Rani earned her Master of Arts degree while continuing rigorous musical training and performances.
1953
🏅
Award
Receives Padma Shri Award
She was honored with the Padma Shri, recognizing her contribution as a pioneering woman sarod player.
1968
📖
Publication
Publishes 'The Divine Sarod'
Her scholarly work on the history and development of the sarod was released by Vice President K. R. Narayanan.
1992
🕊️
Death
Passes away in Delhi
Sharan Rani died one day before her 79th birthday, leaving behind a vast legacy of music and scholarship.
2008
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

She was the first Indian woman instrumentalist to record for UNESCO and international record labels in the mid-20th century, making her music accessible beyond India long before digital platforms existed.

02 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Her solo sarod performances sometimes featured dual percussion accompaniment with both tabla and pakhawaj, a rare effort to keep alive the ancient Dhrupad tradition that was vanishing by the 20th century.

03 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 1992, her book 'The Divine Sarod' was launched by Vice President K. R. Narayanan, linking a performing artist directly with political leadership to highlight the sarod’s history.

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"Sharan Rani has achieved perfection in music. She will therefore get the love of the entire world." – Dr. Zakir Husain

— Sharan Rani Backliwal

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
IN CONVERSATION - SHARAN RANI

🌱 What changed because of them

Sharan Rani broke social taboos by becoming one of the first women to master and popularize the sarod, an instrument traditionally dominated by men, paving the way for female instrumentalists in Hindustani classical music. Her donation of centuries-old instruments to the National Museum created a permanent public resource preserving India’s musical past. Her book and teaching methods helped preserve the Dhrupad tradition and a deep understanding of the sarod’s history, influencing both scholarship and performance practice.

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