Sunday, July 24 2005 15:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Noted Tabala maestro Ustad Shafaat Ahmed Khan died here today (July 24, 2005) following a brief illness.

Fifty one-year-old Khan, a recipient of Padma Shree last year, died at around 10:00 a.m at a private hospital here (New Delhi).

He was hospitalised a week back following stomach pain but was later diagnosed with acute Hepatitis-B and breathed his last in the morning, renowned Sitarist Pandit Debu Chowdhury told PTI.

Khan, who hailed from the Delhi Gharana, was the son of Tabala maestro Ustad Shamma Khan, who died last year.

Khan, a bachelor, is survived by a brother and four sisters.

Chowdhury said Khan had played with top classical artistes like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Ustad Amjad Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj and Hari Prasad Chaurasia, besides himself.

Chowdhury said Khan was popular among artistes because of humble nature and down to earth attitude. Khan's death has created a void, which will be difficult to fill, he said.