Girija Devi (Thumri Queen) Age, Death Cause, Husband, Family, Biography & More

Bio
Real Name	Girija Devi
Nickname	Thumri Queen, Appa
Profession	Indian classical singer
Gharana (Music School)	Seniya and Banaras Gharanas
Guru/Ustaad/Mentor	Sarju Prasad Misra and Chand Mishra
Personal Life
Date of Birth	8 May 1929
Birth Place	Varanasi, United Provinces, British India
Date of Death	24 October 2017
Place of Death	BM Birla Hospital, Kolkata, India
Age (at the time of death)	88 Years
Death Cause	Cardiac Arrest
Zodiac sign/Sun sign	Taurus
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
School	Not Known
College	Not Known
Educational Qualification	Not Known
Family	Father- Ramdeo Rai (A Zamindar) Mother- Name Not Known Brother- Not Known Sister- Not Known
Religion	Hinduism
Hobbies	Watching Periodic Films, Listening to Music
Awards/Honours	1972: Padma Shri 1977: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1989: Padma Bhushan 2010: Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship 2012: Maha Sangeet Samman Award and GiMA Awards 2012 (Lifetime Achievement) 2015: Banga Bibhushan 2016: Padma Vibhushan
Favourite Things
Favourite Food	Paan (Betel)
Favourite Politician(s)	Dr Radhakrishnan, Sarojini Naidu, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi
Favourite Singer	Lata Mangeshkar
Boys, Affairs and More
Marital Status	Widowed
Husband/Spouse	Name Not Known (A Businessman)
Marriage Date	Year 1946
Children	Son- None Daughter- 1

Some Lesser Known Facts About Girija Devi

• Girija Devi was a renowned Indian Classical singer.

• She was born into a Zamindar family in Varanasi.

• Besides being a Zamindar, her father was also a musician.

• Initially, she was taught music by her father and later under the mentorship of Sarju Prasad Misra and Chand Misra.

• At the age of 5, she started learning ‘Khayal’ and ‘Tappa’ from vocalist and sarangi player Sarju Prasad Misra.

• At the age of 9, she also played a role in a movie- Yaad Rahe.

• In 1949, Girija Devi made her public debut on All India Radio Allahabad.

• She faced opposition in singing publicly, as it was believed that no upper caste woman should perform publicly.

• In 1951, she gave her 1st public concert in Bihar.

• Her singing style was highly appreciated and her audiences included Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Sarojini Naidu, Indira Gandhi, etc.

• After her husband’s demise, she forayed into devotional singing, giving another dimension to her music.

• Girija Devi elevated the Purabi Ang Thumri style of singing.

• Her repertoire included the semi-classical genres- Kajri, Chaiti, and Holi.

• Girija Devi was very popular for her humour among her friends and relatives.

• Since her childhood, she had been fond of toys (especially dolls). Even in her old age, she had been gifted toys and dolls on her birthdays.

• On 24 October 2017, she died after a cardiac arrest. Condolences started pouring from every corner of the society.       

• Here’s a detailed conversation with the Queen of Thumri: