Pakhawaj is the most majestic sounding of Indian percussion instruments, generating a resonance which brings to mind evocative images of Ancient India and the music of the Moghul courts. Ravishankar Upadhyay comes from a distinguished musical ancestry and represents the eleventh generation of artists nurturing the traditional art of Pakhawaj.

Born in 1969 in Iswarpur village of district Gaya in Bihar, he is the son and student of the late Maestro Pandit Ramji Upadhyay. He started intense and comprehensive Pakhawaj training from the age of eight years. This 'Upadhyay' parampara, or lineage, is 350 years old, hailing from the time his ancestors from Rajasthan were given this title of 'Upadhyay' in the royal courts as a mark of recognition of their mastery. Later, they were requested by the Rajah of Bihata State (Bihar) to move to their province where they were given special place in the royal court.

Over successive generations, this tradition blossomed and many famous artists have been given to the musical world by the family, not only in Pakhawaj playing but in the Dhrupad style of singing as well. The grandfather of Ravishankar, the great Mridang Maestro Pandit Basudeo Upadhyay was both an unprecedented Pakhawaj player and an accomplished Dhrupad singer. His Gharana, or style of Pakhawaj playing, has been named Pandit Basudeo Upadhyay Pakhawaj Parampara, Gaya Bihar.