India - Musician Singer Portrait Painting

Ustad Bismillah Khan

Ustad Bismillah Khan was an Indian musician credited with popularising the shehnai. Khan is credited with elevating its status and bringing it to the concert stage. He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001. His teacher and mentor was his uncle Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a renowned shehnai player. Bismillah Khan religiously practiced the shehnai and attained perfection in a very short time. His concert in All India Music Conference (1937) in Calcutta brought shehnai into limelight. Bismillah Khan had the rare honor of playing his shehnai on the eve of India's independence in the year 1947.since that year he has always played on 15th August right after the Prime Minister gave his speech.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

He was an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition. A member of the Kirana Gharana (school), he is known for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music (bhajans and abhangs). He received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2008.

Jayapataka Swami Portrait Gallery

Jayapataka Swami was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. His scholastic achievements led to an offer of a full scholarship by Brown University after his completion of high school. Shortly thereafter he visited the San Francisco ISKCON center where he helped to build a cart for the now world famous Ratha Yatra Festival. He joined ISKCON’s San Francisco center on Ratha Yatra day then traveled to Montreal to meet Srila Prabhupada. He received initiation from Srila Prabhuapda in Montreal, Canada in 1968. He and the other foundational team members were entrusted with the responsibility of developing Mayapur with Srila Prabhupada’s words “I have given you the kingdom of God. Now develop it and enjoy it.”
http://www.jpsoffice.info/ 
http://iskconleaders.com/jayapataka-swami/ 

Suhotra Swami Portrait

Suhotra Maharaj was born in Massachussetts, USA, in 1950. He first came in contact with ISKCON in 1971. In 1972 he became a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. In 1976 he traveled to India, visiting the holy places and preaching the glories of Lord Krishna. At 1982 he took to the sannyasa asram and up to the year 1987 continued teaching Krsna Consciousness in Europe. His area of responsibility was Norway, Finland, Benelux, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. He preached extensively in these countries by giving lectures. His Books : Substance and Shadow: The Vedic Method of Knowledge (1996), Transcendental Personalism - Vedic Answers for the Human Situation (1997) and Dimensions of Good & Evil (1999). His last book Vedanta Psychology (2007) was published just few weeks before his departure.

HH Radhanath Swami Portrait Painting

http://www.radhanathswami.com/
H.H Radhnath Swami was born in Chicago, IL. Coming from a Jewish upbringing, he received a strong sense of values, as passed on by his mother and father. As a child, he was deeply thoughtful about life, about God and who is God?  Radhanath Swami explored various teachings of transcendental knowledge and in 1970 set of on a spiritual quest in search for God. Radhanath Swami was gradually lead to India where he met various Mistic Yogis, Gurus and continued his quest through the spiritual land until his heart led him to his spiritual master His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder Acharya of ISKCON. He developed a very deep sense of indebtedness and commited to dedicate himself in full gratitude to the mission of his spiritual master.