Padma Bhushan awardee Pandit Nikhil Jyoti Ghosh was a _________ player.

tabla

The correct answer is Option (2) - tabla

Pandit Nikhil Jyoti Ghosh was an Indian musician, teacher and writer, known for his proficiency in the percussion instrument tabla. He was born on 28 December 1918 in Barisal, Bengal (now Bangladesh). He was the younger brother of the celebrated flute player and composer Pannalal Ghosh. Ghosh received his early training in tabla from his father, Gyan Prakash Ghosh, and later from Amir Hussain Khan and Ahmed Jan Thirakwa. He was a leading exponent of the Farrukhabad gharana of tabla playing.

Ghosh was a highly respected and influential tabla player. He performed extensively in India and abroad, and his recordings are widely available. He was also a gifted teacher, and his students include many of the leading tabla players of today. Ghosh was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honor, in 1990. He died on 3 March 1995 in Mumbai, India.