who had access to the royal palace, decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi.

He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi, and made seven holes on the body of the pipe.

When he played on it, closing and opening some of these holes, soft and melodious sounds were produced.

He played the instrument before royalty and everyone was impressed. The instrument so different from the pungi had to be given a new name.

As the story goes, since it was first played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai (barber), the instrument was named the ‘shehnai’.

The sound of the shehnai began to be considered auspicious.

And for this reason it is still played in temples and is an indispensable component of any North Indian wedding. In the past, the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts.

Till recently it was used only in temples and weddings. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes To ustad Bismillah Khan.

(A) Read the following passage and do the given activities:

(A1) Choose the correct option from the following.

( temples, auspicious, Ustad Bismillah Khan, pungi ,)

1. Musical instrument with shrill unpleasant sound _______.
2. The sound of shehnai began to be considered as _______.
3. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to _______.
4. Till recently it was used only in _______.

A2 Say why?

The instrument was named as shehnai …

A3. Find words from the passage which mean:

1. high-pitched –
2. regal –
3. admired –
4. essential –

A4. Do as Directed:

1. Shehnai was part of the naubat. (Pick out the subject and predicate)
2. It was first played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai. (State whether the statement is simple/compound/complex)

A5. Which is your favourite musical instrument and why?

B. Read the above passage and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title.

Answer

(A1) Choose the correct option from the following.

1. pungi
2. auspicious
3. Ustad Bismillah Khan
4. temples

A2. Say why?

Since, the instrument was first played in a Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai (barber) it was named the ‘shehnai’.

A3. Find words from the passage which mean:

1. shrill
2. royal
3. impressed
4. indispensable

A4. Do as Directed:

1. Shehnai – Subject, was part of the naubat – Predicate
2. Compound Sentence

A5. Which is your favourite musical instrument and why?

My favourite musical instrument is the guitar. I like that guitars are extremely versatile and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Also, unlike most instruments, guitars are portable, can be played while sitting or standing and do not need electricity to make music.

write a summary

The Origin of the Shehnai

A barber improved upon the pungi and played the new instrument before royalty, impressing everyone. Since it was first played in the Shah’s chambers, by a nai (barber), the new instrument was named ‘shehnai’. As its sound is considered auspicious, the shehnai is played in temples and weddings. It used to be a part of the naubat at royal courts and was brought upon the classical stage by Ustad Bismillah Khan.