The Bhakti Sangeet Festival organized by the Sahitya Kala Parishad and the Delhi government’s Department of Art, Culture, and Languages created an aura of melodious devotional music. The three-day festival, which celebrates the diversity of faith and expressions in devotional music, began on April 22nd and will end on April 24, 2022.
The Delhi government wowed the audience with spiritual renditions on the second day of the Bhakti Sangeet Festival, which was organized by Sahitya Kala Parishad and the Department of Art, Culture, and Languages. Bhakti Sangeet Festival had a lot to offer to the capital’s devotional music fans. The second evening began with soulful renditions of Dr. Subhadra Desai, a professional Hindustani Classical Vocalist. Dr. Subhadra Desai began her performance with a traditional chanting of Vak Sukta by Rishika Vagambhrini from the Rigveda, which was followed by ‘Laal laadile’ by Tulasi Das, which was composed by Madhup Mudgal in Raga Bhimpalasi. She then performed in Sanskrit a self-composed Ashtapadi Raga Puriya Dhanashri by Jaideva.
She also presented traditional compositions in other languages like Vachana by Akka Mahadevi in Kannada and Vaakh by Lalleshwari/ Lalded in Kashmiri. Dr. Subhadra ended her performance with Madhurashtakam by Vallabhacharya, self-composition in Ragas Madhuvanti, Des, Kalyan, and Bhairavi. The evening continued with another spiritual performance by Kalapini Komkali, daughter, and disciple of the legendary Pandit Kumar Gandharva. She started her performance with Mangalacharan Arti followed by a Meera Bhajan – �PhagunKe Din Chaar Hori Khele Mana’. Kalapini Ji’s third and fourth presentations were Nirgun Bhajan by Shukdev – ‘Jo Jan Anhad Dhyaan Dhare’ and ‘Guruji Mein Toh Ek Niranjan’.
Her performance concluded with a Chandrasakhi Bhajan. The evening concluded with Daler Mehndi’s mellifluous and energetic voice, who captivated the audience with a lesser-known aspect of his music – devotional songs. Daler Mehndi’s self-compositions sung during the festival include ‘Shiv Shankara,’ ‘Jinke Hriday Shri Ram,’ ‘Rajan Ke Raja,’ and ‘Radha Raman Hari Bol.’
The event began with the lighting of a lamp by senior officials from the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, including Manisha Saxena, Principal Secretary H&FW, Government of Delhi, Dr. Monica Priyadarshini, I.A.S. Secretary, Sahitya Kala Parishad, Swati Sharma, Secretary of Department, and others. On the first day of the festival, some incredible artists performed in front of a packed house. Suranjan Khandalkar, a promising Patiyala Gharana classical vocalist from Pune, began the devotional recital. Shriram Shloks such as ‘Hari bhajan ko man re,’ ‘Bhaj man ram Nam sukhdayi,’ ‘Bolo Ram ram bolo Shyam / Bolawa Vitthal,’ ‘He Shivshankar,’ ‘Khelane na jau maiyyan,’ ‘Madhur Dhuni Baje,’ and ‘Baje Muraliya baje’.