Indian classical musician Ravi Shankar

Indian classical music legend Pandit Ravi Shankar, 92, passed away in San Diego. The sitar maestro was admitted to the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California, last Thursday after he complained of breathing problem. Shankar breathed his last at 4.30 p.m. Pacific Time Tuesday evening. The musical ambassador and was responsible for making Indian classical music popular in the West. He was active as a professional musician till the end and was one of the contenders for the next Grammys. He had collaborated with several international artists including George Harrison of 'The Beatles' which had brought him fame and adulation all over the world. "It is with heavy hearts we write to inform you that Pandit Ravi Shankar, husband, father, and musical soul, passed away today," his wife and daughter, Sukanya and Anoushka Shankar, said in a joint statement. A recipient of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1999, Shankar maintained residences in both India and the United States. He is survived by his wife Sukanya; daughters Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar Wright and her husband Joe Wright; three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.