Pune: 11th Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav to be held from February 7 to 9

Pune, 29th January 2025: The 11th Edition of ‘Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav’ will be held in the city from Friday, February 7 to Sunday, February 9, 2025, at Mahalaxmi Lawns, Karve Nagar, near Rajaram Bridge, Pune. Organized by Natyasampada Pratishthan, this festival is a tribute to Gaanasaraswati Padma Vibhushan Kishori Amonkar’s immense contribution to the field of Indian Classical Music.

Speaking about the Mahotsav, Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar, one of the senior disciples of Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar and trustee of Natyasampada Pratishthan, said, “Over the years, the Mahotsav has presented established and upcoming artists to preserve and cherish all classical music forms of India, from vocals and instrumentals to dance. This year, as well, we have a stellar line-up of artists who will pay their tribute to honour the stupendous contributions of my guru in this 11th edition of the Mahotsav”.

The three-day and four-session Mahotsav will commence on Friday, February 7. On this first day of the festival, the first session will be held from 5 PM to 10 PM. On Saturday, February 8, the second session will be held from 4 PM to 10 PM. On Sunday, February 9, the third session will be held from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and the fourth and final session will be held from 4 PM to 10 PM.

On the first day, the event will begin with the vocal performance of Devashree Navghare-Bhide, a disciple of Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar of the Jaipur Atrauli gharana. This will be followed by the performance of the renowned sarod player Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar. The first day of the Mahotsav will conclude with the recital of the veteran vocalist Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar.

On the second day of the Mahotsav, the event will begin with the vocal performance of Vidushi Kalapini Komkali, daughter and disciple of Pt. Kumar Gandharva. This will be followed by the vocal recital of Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar’s senior disciple Vidushi Nandini Bedekar. The Imdadkhani gharana’s celebrated musician Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan will follow next with his sitar recital. The second day of the Mahotsav will conclude with the vocal performance of the National Award winning vocalist Rahul Deshpande.

On the third day of the Mahotsav, the morning session will begin at 8:30 AM with the vocal performance of Pt. Shounak Abhisheki, the son and disciple of Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki. This will be followed by the recital of the senior vocalist Vidushi Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande.

The concluding session on the third day of the Mahotsav will begin at 4 PM with the violin duet of Tejas and Rajas Upadhye, known as the Violin Brothers. They are the sons and disciples of the renowned violinist Pt. AtulKumar Upadhye. This will be followed by the vocal recital of the popular vocalist Manjusha Kulkarni-Patil. Kathak guru Shama Bhate’s special program ‘Parampara Ke Padachinha’ will follow next. The 11th Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav will conclude with the vocal performance of Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar, in keeping with the tradition of the Mahotsav. The renowned actor and anchor Vighnesh Joshi will compere the entire event.

Season tickets for the entire festival, priced at Rs. 200, will be available on BookMyShow (in.bookmyshow.com). Season tickets will also be available at Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagruha, Kothrud, and Tilak Smarak Mandir, Tilak Road, from January 26.

A special discussion, ‘Jaipur Gharana: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow’, will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Jyotsna Bhole Auditorium, Hirabaug Chauk, Tilak Road. The discussion will focus on the vocal style of the Jaipur gharana founded by Ustad Alladiya Khan Saheb. Main topics in this discussion will include artistic transitions in this style, its current state, and its future, with a special emphasis on Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar’s contribution, informed Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar. The discussion will feature Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar, Dr. Milind Malshe, Dr. Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande, and Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar. Suyog Kundalkar, Saurabh Kadgaonkar, Radhika Joshi, and Dr. Chaitanya Kunte will also participate in this discussion.