[3] She was born Sharan Rani Mathur in the walled city of Old Delhi to a conservative Hindu family of well-known businessmen and educationists.

From the late 1930s, Sharan Rani presented her sarod recitals on the concert stage in India for over seven decades.

According to Jawaharlal Nehru, she was the "Cultural Ambassador of India"[5] Dr. Zakir Husain said about her, "Sharan Rani has achieved perfection in music.

Noted Musician Yehudi Menuhin said about her : "I hasten to add my voice to the many admiring and grateful ones which would try to express the love and respect we feel for this great artiste”[6] Concerned that the rich Dhrupad tradition was fading away, some of her solo recitals were accompanied by both Tabla and Pakhawaj.

Backliwal donated to the National Museum, New Delhi varieties of instruments from different States of India, from different 'Gharanas' of music, covering different time periods, allowing for a methodical comparative and developmental study.

These are as follows:[10] In 1960, she married Sultan Singh Backliwal who belonged to a prominent Digamber Jain business family of Delhi.