Ustad Amjad Ali Khan auctions sarod for noble cause

Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's iconic sarod was among the 16 iconic memorabilia donated by prominent celebrities to have been auctioned here for the purpose of charity.
Actor Rahul Bose, 45, and his NGO - The Foundation, hosted the auction of 16 iconic pieces from the 16 greatest Indians in their respective fields, here last night.
"'The Idea of India' was an auction of iconic memorabilia donated by 16 legendary Indians who with both, their genius and their generosity uphold the ideals that nest within the idea of India - Indians, who with their talent, intellect and world view, making every Indian proud," Bose said.

The main auction, held at the black tie sit-down evening at a starred hotel here, saw the legends along with some of Mumbai's glitterati.
The donors, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Abhinav Bindra, Charles Correa, Amitav Ghosh, R K Laxman and Raghu Rai were among the first to arrive.
Legendary cartoonist Laxman made a rare appearance with his wife.

Khan, who arrived with his wife and son Amaan, said he was happy to have contributed for a social cause.
The autographed sarod that went under the hammer at the event was used by him during 1990-2013. It fetched Rs 16 lakh in the auction.

Mallika Advani conducted the auction taking every bidder through each lot with Rahul narrating a special story associated with each of the memorabilia.
One of the most outstanding moments of the evening was Akhtar bidding for and becoming the lucky owner of Laxman's piece - Hand Drawn Originals- 'Six Decades of The Common man'.
The main proceedings of the auction were followed by an informative audio visual of the incredible work done by The Foundation for children across the country from Andamans, Kashmir and now Manipur. The auction collectively raised Rs 1.74 crore in support of The Foundation.