Ustad Zakir Hussain, one of the most celebrated classical musicians of India and a renowned name across the world, passed away on Monday morning at a San Francisco hospital. Aged 73, he was battling idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which has been stated as the official cause of death according to the family statement.

Throughout his more than six-decade long career, the tabla maestro not only inspired young Indians to pursue the art form but also became the ambassador of Indian music globally.