PUNE: The Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav, organized annually by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, will be held this year from Wednesday, December 10 to Sunday, December 14 at the Maharashtriya Mandal Sports Complex in Mukundnagar. The names of the artists performing in the Mahotsav this year were announced by the Executive President of the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, Shrinivas Joshi, at a press conference held today. This is the 71st year of the Mahotsav, and more than half of the artists will present their art on the platform of ‘Sawai’ for the first time, Shrinivas Joshi also informed.

Shilpa Joshi, Shubhada Mulgund, Dr. Prabhakar Deshpande, Anand Bhate, and Trustees of Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal were also present at the press conference held today. Giving more information about the Mahotsav, Shrinivas Joshi said, “Many veteran artists have presented their art in this Mahotsav, which was started by my father, Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi in the name of his Guru Sawai Gandharva. The avid and knowledgeable audience also loved the Mahotsav immensely. This year, the 71st Mahotsav is being concluded, and to provide a platform to the promising artists along with veteran artists, many promising artists will be presented at the Mahotsav. Notably, more than half of the total number of artists will be presenting their art in the Mahotsav for the first time. Through this, we are making a sincere effort to provide a capable platform to young artists.”

The list of artists who will perform at the 71st Mahotsav is as follows – 

Day 1 – Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 3 pm to 10 pm

The 71st Mahotsav will begin with Delhi-based Lokesh Anand performing on the Shehnai. Lokesh has been trained in shehnai by his father, Kalicharan, Guru Pt. Ananthalal and Pt. Dayashankar. Dr. Chetna Pathak, a vocalist of the Kirana Gharana, will then present her vocal recital. Dr. Pathak is a disciple of Swaryogini Padma Vibhushan Dr. Prabha Atre. This will be followed by the accompaniment of the Mishra brothers, Ritesh and Rajnish Mishra, vocalists from the Banaras Gharana and sons- disciples of Pt. Rajan Mishra. Pt. Shubendra Rao, a disciple of Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar and his wife Vidushi Saskia Rao-De-Haas will then perform on the Sitar and Cello. Saskia, who is originally from the Netherlands, trained under the guidance of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia has practiced Indian music for a long time and has built new bridges between Eastern and Western musical traditions by creating a unique instrument called ‘Bharatiya Cello. The first day will conclude with a performance by veteran vocalist Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar.

Day Two – Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 4 pm to 10 pm

The second day will begin with a performance by classical vocalist and composer Hrishikesh Badve. This will be followed by a performance by Indrayudh Majumdar, a talented Sarod player of the Senia Maihar Gharana. Indrayudh is the son and disciple of Padmashree Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar. This will be followed by a performance by Vidushi Padma Deshpande, a senior vocalist of the Kirana Gharana and granddaughter-in-law of Sawai Gandharva. This will be followed by the accompaniment of internationally renowned Saxophonist George Brooks and Pt. Krishnamohan Bhatt to conclude the second day. George Brooks has achieved an unprecedented fusion of jazz & Indian classical music and Pt. Krishnamohan Bhatt is a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar.

Day Three – Friday, December 12, 2025 | 4 pm to 10 pm

The third day of the Mahotsav will begin with the performance of emerging Santoor player Satyendra Solanki. Solanki is a disciple of Pt. Omprakash Chaurasia. This will be followed by a vocal performance by Shrinivas Joshi, disciple and son of Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan, an artist of the Imdadkhani gharana, will then perform on the Sitar. The third day will conclude with a performance by Vidushi Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, a senior vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.

Day Four Saturday, December 13, 2025 | 3 pm to 12 midnight

The fourth day will begin with a performance by Siddhartha Belmannu, a young, talented singer from Bangalore. Belmannu is a disciple of Pt. Vinayak Torvi of the Kirana and Gwalior traditions. This will be followed by a performance by Pune-based Anuradha Kuber, a leading vocalist of the Bhendi Bazaar Gharana. Pt. Rupak Kulkarni, a leading flautist of the Maihar Gharana and the first Gandabandh disciple of Padma Vibhushan Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia will perform on the flute after that. This will be followed by a performance by Dr. Bharat Balvalli. This will be followed by an accompaniment by Vidushi Kala Ramnath (Violin) and Vidushi Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh (Vichitraveen). Vidushi Kala Ramnath is an Indian violinist who is respected worldwide as the creator of the ‘singing violin’. Vidushi Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh is a leading player, researcher, composer, and teacher of the Saraswati Veena, the national instrument of India. The fourth day of the Mahotsav will conclude with a dance performance by Meghranjani Medhi, a famous Kathak dancer from Assam. She is the daughter and disciple of renowned Kathak guru Marami Medhi and renowned singer Joy Prakash Medhi and has also received guidance from Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj.

Day 5 – Sunday, December 14, 2025 | 12 noon to 10 pm

The fifth and final day of the Sawai will begin with the vocal recital of Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi’s senior disciple and Kirana Gharana vocalist, Pt. Upendra Bhat. This will be followed by a performance of Shruti Vishwakarma Marathe, a vocalist from the Kirana and Gwalior tradition. Shruti is a disciple of Dr. Veena Sahasrabudhe and Pt. Kedar Bodas. This will be followed by the vocal recital of promising young artist Aniruddha Aithal. This will be followed by the vocal performance of well-known singer Sawani Shende. Sawani is a disciple of renowned vocalist Dr. Veena Sahasrabudhe. This will be followed by the violin performance of Dr. L. Shankar, an internationally renowned violinist, singer, composer, and a leading pioneer of East-West music tradition. Dr. Shankar has played an important role in the world-famous ‘Shakti’ group along with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, and T. H. Vinayakam. This will be followed by the singing of veteran vocalist Padma Shri Pt. Venkatesh Kumar. The 71st Mahotsav will conclude with the ‘Arghya’ program presented by vocalists of the Kirana Gharana. In this, Pt. Upendra Bhat, Shrinivas Joshi, Anand Bhate, and Viraj Joshi will give a vocal tribute to the gurus.  

The artists who are presenting their art for the first time in the Mahotsav are as follows –

Lokesh Anand. Dr. Chetna Pathak, Shubendra Rao, Saskia Rao-De-Haas, Hrishikesh Badve, Indrayudh Majumdar, George Brooks, Pt. Krishnamohan Bhat, Satyendra Solanki, Siddhartha Belmannu, Anuradha Kuber, Pt. Rupak Kulkarni, Dr. Bharat Balvalli, Meghranjani Medhi, Shruti Marathe, Aniruddha Aithal, Dr. L Shankar.

Kalyani Group is the presenter of Mahotsav, and Kirloskar Group, Magarpatta City Group, P. N. Gadgil & Sons, Kele Group, Ranjekar Realty, Lokmanya Multipurpose – Co-operative Society, Suhana and Asha Publicity have supported this year’s 71st Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav.
Along with this, the ticket sale of the 71st Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Festival will start from Monday, December 1st, and this year, festival tickets will be available to the connoisseurs at Shirish Traders opposite Kamala Nehru Park in Erandwane, Behre Ambewale in Shanipar, Abhiruchi Foods in Sahakarnagar, and Desai Bandhu Ambewale in Karve Nagar.

The tickets for the entire festival will be Rs. 5 thousand and Rs. 3 thousand for the chair, and the entire festival ticket for the Indian session will be Rs. 500. The tickets for the Indian session of the festival for students will be at a discounted rate of Rs. 250. Please note that in addition to the above-mentioned places, online tickets for the festival will also be available at ticketkhidakee.com.

The post The 71st Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav Scheduled for December 10-14 appeared first on NRI News.

Shrinivas Joshi, Executive President of the Mandal issued a press statement in this regard. The festival will take place for 5 days at the Sports Complex of Maharashtriya Mandal at Mukund Nagar just like every year between December 18th and 22nd. Other details of the festival shall be announced soon.

The post The Dates for the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival Have Been Revealed appeared first on NRI News.

Pt. Ajay Pohankar from the Kirana Gharana was trained by his mother Dr. Susheela Pohankar. He commenced his performance with a Bandish ‘ Aur Nahi Kachu Kaam Ke’ in Raag Darbari in Vilambit Ektaal

He then presented ‘Saiyaan Gaye Pardes’ a composition in Raag Pahadi in Taal Keherwa complimented by his son Abhijit Pohankar on the Keyboard (synthesizer). This was the first time that a Keyboard (synthesizer) was played on the Sawai platform. Abhijit Pohankar is a well-known fusion music producer known for his unique style of blending traditional and modern music.

They ended the evening with the rendition of a Bandish ‘Naina More’ in Raag ‘Sindh Bhairavi’ in Taal Keherwa and ‘Bajuband Khul Khul Jaye’ in Raag Bhairavi

Pt. Ajay Pohankar and Abhijit Pohankar were accompanied by Ajay Joglekar on harmonium, Bharat Kamat on Tabla, Dhananjay Joshi, Suranjan Khandalkar and Madhura Gurjar on Tanpura and Vocal accompaniment.

The post Soulful Conclusion to an Electrifying Evening on the Third Day of the 69th Sawai! appeared first on NRI News.

Niladri Kumar began the day with a rare Raag– Yaman Manj in medium-paced Teen Taal tastefully leaning towards the Drut Teen Taal Bandish. The Kheechkam in the lower octaves were greatly applauded by the audience. The rapid ‘tihais’ were the crown jewels of the show. The improvisation in the three-times cycle was aptly reciprocated by the tabla accompanist with a solo in the same ‘Tippat’ cycle. Niladri Kumar concluded his performance with a dedication to his father and Guru Pt. Kartick Kumar with a melody he had learned from him. Pt. Kartick Kumar was present at the festival today and is a disciple of legendary Sitar Exponent Pt. Ravi Shankar. He was accompanied by Satyajit Talwalkar on the Tabla. Satyajit Talwalkar is the disciple and son of Taalyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, who was also present at the festival today.

Speaking after Niladri Kumar’s performance, Pt. Kartick Kumar said, ” I have performed at Sawai Gandharva many years back along with my Guru Pt. Ravi Shankarji. For me, Bharat Ratna Bhimesn Joshi’s music is the purest form of music and I believe that Sawai Gandharva is an immortal music festival that is worshipped by artists. For us, Pune has authentic music aficionados, and being applauded here is a blessing of another kind“

Adding further he said, ” For me, it is an honor that my son NIladri was given the honor of performing at Sawai Gandharva and I wish he continues to get the love and blessings of audiences“

Expressing his gratitude for being given the opportunity of performing at the 69th Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mohotsav Niladri Kumar said, “For me, Sawai is not just a stage but a temple and the audience are the deities from whom I seek blessings. I perform across the globe, but the stage of Sawai and the audience like Pune is second to none. Today’s performance was special as my father was here to witness my performance. This was a surprise for me and in retrospect, I realized that Shrinivas Joshiji extended my performance time to accommodate his coming“

The post Niladri Kumar’s Magic Spell on Day Three of the 69th Sawai! appeared first on NRI News.

The first session commenced with a young and emerging artist Rajat Kulkarni of the Kirana Gharana. He started his performance with Bandishes like ‘Hu To Tore Kaaran Aayi Re Balamva’ and ‘Eri Aali Koyaliya Boley’  in Raag Madhuvanti. He also performed a famous Kannada Bhajan ‘Shree Nikethana Paalayamaam’ of Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. After leaving the Punekar spellbound with his performance, Rajat’s performance gained many “Once More’s” from the enthusiastic music buffs. His rendition was then concluded with an Abhang ‘Savale Roop Sundar Manohar.’ Rajat Kulkarni was accompanied by Avinash Dighe on Harmonium, Pandurang Pawar on Tabla, Viresh Sankaji and Mobin Mirajkar on Tanpura, Vasant Garud and Mauli Takalkar on Taal.

The second session witnessed the mellifluous renditions of Padma Deshpande, the granddaughter-in-law of Pt. Sawai Gandharva. She started with a Bandish ‘Piya Bin Mohe’ in Raag Saraswati in Vilambit Rupak Taal, followed by her composition ‘Maate Saraswati’ in Teen Taal. She then presented a Teen Taal Bandish ‘Sangaliyo Baal Gopal’ in a self-composed Raag ‘Gopal Sarang’ which she has dedicated to her father after his name. Raag Gopal Sarang is an amalgamation of Raag Desh and Raag Vrindanvani Sarang. She concluded her performance with once again a self-composed Kajari ‘Ghir Ghir Badra Taare Chaaye’ in Mishra Pahadi. Padma Deshpande was accompanied by Dr Arwind Thatte on Harmonium, Ramkrishna Karambelkar on Tabla, Shruti Deshpande on Tanpura, and Aishwarya Deshpande for Vocals.

The post Third-Day of the 69th Sawai Begins With AnMusical Feast of Kirana Gharana appeared first on NRI News.