New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS): Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, who had been in fragile health for several years, had undergone a surgery that could have given him a new lease of life but his body could not withstand the strain of the operation, his family said Wednesday."We were at his side when he passed away. We know that you all feel our loss with us, and we thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes through this difficult time. Although it is a time for sorrow and sadness, it is also a time for all of us to give thanks and to be grateful that we were able to have him as a part of our lives," his wife Sukanya Shankar and daughter Anoushka said in a statement.

Ravi Shankar had suffered from "upper-respiratory and heart issues over the past year and underwent heart-valve replacement surgery last Thursday".

"Though the surgery was successful, recovery proved too difficult for the 92-year-old musician," Sukanya said.

"His spirit and his legacy will live on forever in our hearts and in his music," the statement said.

The maestro passed away Thursday in San Diego in the US aged 92.