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Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (Kannada: ಪಂಡಿತ ಭೀಮಸೇನ ಗುರುರಾಜ ಜೋಷಿ, Marathi: भीमसेन गुरुराज जोशी, born February 4, 1922) is a renowned vocalist in India. A descendant of the Kirana Gharana (stream) of Hindustani classical music tradition, he is particularly renowned for Khayal form singing.

The education of this music form, till first half of 20th century, was carried out through the Master-disciple (or the Guru Shishya) tradition. Sawai Gandharva was the chief disciple of Abdul Karim Khan, who along with his cousin Abdul Waheed Khan was the founder of the Kirana Gharana school of Hindustani music.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was born in the small town of Gadag district of state of Karnataka in a Kannadiga family.^[1] His father was a conservative school-master. In 1933, the 11-year-old Bhimsen left his home on his own to learn singing through Guru-Shishya (or the Master-disciple) tradition. He spent three years in Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur in North India trying to find a good guru. His father succeeded in tracking him and bringing young Bhimsen back home.

In 1936, Rambhau Kundgolkar, popularly known as Sawai Gandharva, agreed to teach Bhimsen in Hindustani classical music. Bhimsen Joshi stayed with Sawai Gandharva between 1936 and 1940. He then left his guru and set out on his own with a strict regimen of up to sixteen hours of daily riyaz (practice).

Bhimsen Joshi first performed live at the age 19. His debut album, a few devotionals songs in Kannada and Hindi, was released when he was 20.

Later he was to start an annual classical musical festival called the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival' in the memory of his guru. This festival is held in Pune every December.

His son Sriniwas also is a vocalist and a composer.

• Padma Vibhushan in 1999
• Padma Bhushan in 1985
• Padma Shree in 1972
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1976
• First platinum disc in 1986.
• Maharashtra Bhushan award by Govt. of Maharashtra

• Bhimsen Joshi
• Musical Nirvana article on Bhimsen Joshi
• "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" - a national integration theme song sung by Panditji
• Musical Marathi Classic Abhangwani By Bhimsen Joshi
• A Films Division film on Pt. Joshi (select Movie Title "Pandit Bhimsen Joshi", 73 minutes)

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