Veena Sahasrabuddhe
Veena Sahasrabuddhe was an Indian Hindustani classical singer and composer from Kanpur. Her singing blended the Gwalior gharana with influences from Jaipur and Kirana, and she was known for khyal and bhajan.
She grew up in a musical family. Her father, Shankar Shripad Bodas, studied under Vishnu Digambar Paluskar and moved to Kanpur to teach music. Veena learned first from her father and later from her brother, Kashinath Shankar Bodas, and she also studied Kathak dance as a child. Her teachers included Balwantrai Bhatt, Vasant Thakar, and Gajananrao Joshi, and she trained briefly with Kishori Amonkar.
Veena earned a BA in vocal performance, Sanskrit literature, and English literature from Kanpur University in 1968, followed by a Master’s in vocal performance (Sangeet Alankar) from A.B.G.M.V. Mandal in 1969, and a Master’s in Sanskrit from Kanpur University in 1979. A Doctorate in vocal music (Sangeet Praveen) was awarded by A.B.G.M.V. Mandal in 1988. She also served as the head of the music department at SNDT Pune for several years.
She performed across India and in many other countries. Her father helped spread music in Kanpur, and the Paluskar/Gwaliar tradition shaped her singing. Veena’s mother, Shanta, was also a singer. Veena gave her last concert on 2 December 2012. She was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy and died on 29 June 2016.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:16 (CET).