- Ravi Shankar Centre clarified Rishabh Sharma's disciple status and timeline of events in 2026 statement
- Rishabh had an informal string tying in 2012, not a traditional Ganda Bandhan ceremony
- Ravi Shankar gave few lessons to Rishabh before health declined and left India in March 2012, says the Centre
The back and forth over sitarist Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma's musical association with Pandit Ravi Shankar has intensified, with the Ravi Shankar Centre in New Delhi releasing an expansive clarification that lays out dates, health details, and its interpretation of what constitutes a true guru disciple relationship in the Indian classical tradition.
In an official statement dated February 27, 2026, Amitava Ghosh, Director of the Centre, said the intent was not to diminish Rishabh's talent but to "provide accuracy of sequence and extent of events" based on institutional records and first hand recollections of those associated with Guruji.
On claims that Rishabh was the "youngest" or "last" disciple, the Centre names Shubhendra Rao and Anoushka Shankar as the youngest, and Nishad Gadgil and Dr Scott Eisman as the last disciples.
Controversy, Counter, Clarification
The controversy began after sitarist and Ravi Shankar's daughter Anoushka Shankar, in a recent interview, described Rishabh as a talented artiste deserving of his success but clarified that he was neither her father's youngest nor last disciple.
In response, Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma released a detailed statement through his team asserting that he had been formally accepted as a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar through a traditional Ganda Bandhan ceremony in 2012. He rejected suggestions that the association was being misrepresented and cited the maestro's 2012 public introduction of him as his youngest student as evidence of that bond.
Informal String Tying, Not Formal Initiation
The Centre states that on January 3, 2012, an informal string tying took place at the Centre at the persuasion of Rishabh's father and out of affection for the young child.
However, it stresses that this was not a formal Ganda Bandhan ceremony conducted according to traditional custom. There was no priest, no prepared ceremonial thread, no formal announcement, and no gathering of other students or extended family. Apart from Guruji and his wife, only senior disciple Parimal Sadaphal was present.
It further notes that Ravi Shankar did not deliver a formal initiation discourse or conduct several hours of teaching that day. The event, the statement says, was "entirely impromptu" and has since been "retrospectively amplified beyond what occurred."
Limited Lessons And Health Constraints
On February 10, 2012, Ravi Shankar attended Rishabh's concert at Kamani Auditorium in a wheelchair and introduced him to the audience, saying, "I have just had this new, wonderful young boy become my student, and just given him a few lessons." The Centre clarifies that he did not call Rishabh his disciple at the concert or at any later point.
During that event, Guruji reportedly became seriously unwell and was thereafter unable to give meaningful instruction. Between January 3 and March 9, 2012, only a few classes were conducted, jointly with Parimal Sadaphal. On March 9, 2012, Ravi Shankar returned to the United States and, according to the Centre, gave no further lessons, phone calls, or supervision. He passed away on December 12, 2012.
The statement categorically asserts that any claim of prolonged, ongoing, or remotely supervised instruction beyond March 9, 2012, is incorrect. It also says Guruji did not see any YouTube recordings of Rishabh prior to the string tying nor did he conduct an extended evaluation before accepting him as a disciple.
Who Taught Rishabh
The Centre maintains that the majority of Rishabh's formal and sustained training took place under Parimal Sadaphal, with additional guidance from senior disciple Shri Arun Bharat Ram. It underlines that in the parampara of Indian classical music, the word "disciple" carries deep meaning and evolves over years of immersive training and shared commitment, not through a few lessons or a brief appearance in a concert or video.
Addressing photographs in circulation, the Centre says a picture dated November 30, 2012, at the Ravi Shankar Centre is inaccurate, as the maestro was in San Diego and critically ill at the time. It also explains that Rishabh's family had a long association with Ravi Shankar as instrument makers, which accounts for multiple photographs together.
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