Ashutosh Bhattacharya (17 March 1917 – 8 February 2004) was a noted Indian classical musician of Hindustani classical music from Varanasi, who was Tabla player and music educator, besides a practicing Ayurvedic doctor.

In 1966, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.^[1]

Born in a Bengali family in Varanasi (Benaras), Uttar Pradesh,^[2] Bhattacharya grew up in the family of Ayurvedic doctors, where both his father and grandfather practiced Ayurvedic medicine. However, at a young age he showed musical inclination and at age 8 started learning pakhawaj from Pandit Ram Nath Mishra.^[3] After a few years of training, he switched to learning tabla from Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, noted tabla player of the Benares gharana, and uncle of Kishan Maharaj.^[4][5]

He started performing at the age of 21, when in 1937, he accompanied sarod maestro Allauddin Khan at the music concert in Allahabad.^[6] In the coming years, he accompanied leading musicians like, Pt. Ravi Shankar,^[7] Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Vilayat Khan.^[3]

Besides his musical career, he also practiced Ayurvedic medicine at his clinic in Varanasi, and taught students.^[3] He died on 9 February 2004 in Varanasi, after a brief illness, at the age of 86. His son, Debabrata Bhattacharya, is a tabla player.^{[citation needed]}

• Anokhelal Mishra
• Kishan Maharaj
• Samta Prasad
• Chandra Nath Shastri

• Sudhish Chandra Banerjee (2006). Tabla and the world of Indian rhythms. Shubhi Publications. ISBN 9788182900936.

• Ashu Babu Memorial School