15-17 September, 2023
Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

A mesmerizing three-day Bhakti Sangeet Utsav was organized by the Sahitya Kala Parishad from 15 to 17 September, 2023 at Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri area of ​​New Delhi. Parishad’s Secretary Dr. Monica Priyadarshini (IAS) inaugurated the festival by lighting the lamp and praised the artists invited in the festival.

The young and dynamic vocalist Sawani Mudgal gave the festival’s opening performance on September 15, which was a mix of ‘Sagun’ as well as ‘Nirgun’. All the ‘bhajans’ were ‘raag’ based by Kabir, Meera, Nanak and other saint poets. She won the hearts by presenting the ‘bhajans’ in a completely traditional style. The evening also witnessed some magical aura when Vidhi Sharma took charge of the stage. She presented Bhakt Tulsidas, Meera, Surdas and Dadu Dayal songs like ‘Sanson ki mala pe’, ‘Keshav hari hari nandlala’ and more. Additionally, she presented some Sufi compositions, such as Baba Bullehshah and Sant Kabir’s ‘Nirgun Bhakti’ poetry. Another highlight of the evening was the performance by ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs’ 2009 winner Hemant Brijwasi where he sang songs like ‘Jay Radhe Radhe’, ‘Saware Tere Bin Jiya Na Jaye’ and more.

The second day opened with the melodious Rashmi Agarwal, who presented a variety of ‘Bhajans’ by Meera, Sant Kabir, Chhit Swami and Baba BullehShah. The audience was deeply influenced by the several devotional songs, including ‘Moko kahan dhunde bande’, ‘Pani mein min pyasi’ and more, sung by Brijesh Mishra. One of India’s best folk singers of Kabir, Prahlad Singh Tipanya, captivated the audience with his heartfelt interpretations.

The three-day festival concluded on September 17 with the performance of Vidya Shah who ascended the stage and gave a stirring performance. Her performance was followed by deep ‘bhakti’ songs like ‘Ram charan sukhdai’, ‘Mann lago mero yaar’ and more, given by Mamta Joshi. Sharma Bandhu then took the stage, captivating the audience with their enchanting voices and delivering evergreen classics.

An atmosphere of wonderful spirituality prevailed throughout the festival which created the ideal environment for the harmonic fusion of spirituality and song.