Imagine the imposing interiors of one of the finest Neo Gothic Victorian heritage structures in Mumbai — The Convocation Hall at the Fort campus of the University of Mumbai, with soulful Indian classical music transporting you to an ethereal world of bliss.

If you think that this sublime visual is just a figment of imagination, think again. Music and heritage lovers will get an opportunity to witness a phenomenal virtual event as The Indian Heritage Society – Mumbai (IHS) presents the 29th edition of their theme ‘Use Live Music to Save Heritage’, starting from April 10, 2021, in the form of ‘Mumbai Sanskriti’ Music Festival at the Convocation Hall at the University of Mumbai. The event is supported by the Maharashtra Tourism and curated by Northern Lights.

The festival is aimed at increasing awareness of the rich heritage of Mumbai using live music. This year, ‘Mumbai Sanskriti’ is organised inside the magnificent Convocation Hall whose Victorian stain glass windows, Burma teak balconies and furniture, intricate grill work and Minton tiles add grandeur to this 19th century architectural structure. The Convocation Hall received the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award for heritage conservation in 2007 and in the same year received the Indian Heritage Society (Mumbai) Award.

Celebrating the richness of our culture, this year, the ‘Mumbai Sanskriti 2021’ music festival is presented in four digital concerts — exclusively streamed on the official YouTube channel of Indian Heritage Society –Mumbai and will be available digitally to all music and heritage enthusiasts.

The Indian Heritage Society–Mumbai has been organising this landmark festival since 1992, using culture and ‘Live Music to Save Heritage’. The initiation was at the heritage precinct of Banganga tank, Walkeshwar. Later, this festival was moved to the Asiatic Library Steps because of a High Court order against noise pollution and was renamed ‘Mumbai Sanskriti’ from ‘Banganga Festival’.

Speaking about it, Anita Garware, Chairperson, Indian Heritage Society — Mumbai said, “Our heritage, culture, traditions are parts of a venerable lineage, which should be conserved. The event is an effort towards this cause, so that we can save and celebrate Mumbai’s heritage through art, architecture and music.”

Commenting on the festival, Dhananjay Sawalkar, Director of Directorate of Tourism, said, “Maharashtra holds the maximum numbers of UNESCO World heritage sites among all states and Union Territories in India which shows the state’s rich cultural diversity and heritage. ‘Mumbai Sanskriti’ festival is an excellent initiative to showcase and promote the richness of our culture and we are proud to partner with it.”

The event is jointly sponsored by HSBC and Tata Consultancy Services. The four virtual concerts will be digitally accessible to everyone who loves music, lives for cultural legacy and longs for its preservation.

Virtual Concert One on April 10, 2021 at 7 p.m. (IST) — Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma (Santoor)
Virtual Concert Two on April 17, 2021 at 7 p.m. (IST) — Radhika Sood Nayak (Sufi)
Virtual Concert Three on April 24, 2021 at 7 p.m. (IST) — Fazal Qureshi (Tabla)
Virtual Concert Four on May 1, 2021 at 7 p.m. (IST) — Ashwini Bhide Deshpande (Vocal)