Eminent tabla player Pandit Shankar Ghosh passed away on Friday night at a private city hospital here.

He was 80 years old. Ghosh, who had been admitted to the hospital following heart ailments, was in coma for past 40 days and died at 9 pm on Friday, his daughter-in-law Jaya Seal Ghosh told PTI. The legendary classical exponent, who is the father and mentor of new age percussionist Pt Bickram Ghosh, had been at the ICU of the super-speciality hospital on E M Bypass, since mid December and underwent angioplasty on December 14.

"He was in unconscious state for about one-and-half months and left for his heavenly abode at 9 pm. We will keep the body at a mortuary and are planning something at Rabindra Sadan tomorrow morning," Jaya, an acclaimed dancer and actor, said. "Lost him, The Emperor of Tabla. My beloved father," Bickram tweeted on Facebook tonight.

Ghosh is survived by his son, daughter and grandson Tatun. The 80-year-old, amongst the most well-known tabla players in the country, was awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in the year 2000.Following the Farukhabad gharana of Hindustani classical music, Ghosh has also taught a large number of students in tabla not only in Kolkata but also in Europe.