The Death of Ustad Bismallah Khan

As I was biking to clinic today, I noticed a lot of stores were shutting down during the busiest part of the day, and the streets were starting to empty. When I got to Hospital, I found out that Ustad Bismallah Khan, who had been admitted last week, had died.
Estimates of his age ranged from late 80's to over 100, but he was clearly a beloved son of Varanasi. He played a reed instrument, which I will not transliterate, and was considered one of the best ever.
As a Muslim, but not a politician, he was a neutral figure. Thus there was a huge outpouring of goodwill from many different communities, with numerous high ranking political figures coming to offer condolances to the family.
He was a greatly respected man. Although he could have been richer, and lived in far nicer surroundings, he chose to spend his time deep in the intricate, intertwining gulleys of Varanasi. It is here he lived, and learned, and it is here he died. He will be missed.