yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

At Varanasi’s Dhrupad Mela, a celebration of classical music unlike any other in India Thanks are due to the team at First Post. The unedited version placed below. The piece on First Post here . All images by Roshni Subhash. During my trips to Ramnagar for the Ramleela I came across people refer to the performance as Mela – celebration of the epic. On similar lines, this music festival, organized under the auspices of the Banaras Vidya Mandir Nyas, and now in its 45 th year, is known as the ‘Dhrupad Mela’ – a celebration of Dhrupad. Where else to celebrate the oldest existing form of north Indian classical music but in one of the oldest cities in the world?   The entry, like at most music events in town is free, decoration is simple or basic while the artists and connoisseurs mingle ( away from the stage ) after performances. Absence of the west influenced practices for music concerts, read formal and dry, is conspicuous. Shailaja Khanna , during 2018, wrote,...

As Varanasi's ghats come alive with music, the city could stake its claim to being India's cultural capital This piece was published on FirstPost on 27 th June, 2018. Thanks are due to the team at FirstPost. Bathing to purify oneself of sins, the final rituals of the dead, boating, evening  aartis ,  sadhus , and hippies are among the things that come to mind when one thinks about the  ghats  at Varanasi. Seldom, however, does music find a place. This, when the town could well boast of yet another tag — that of being the musical capital of the country. Raj Ghat is at one end of the eight-kilometre stretch of  ghats  along the Ganga, and Assi Ghat stands at the other end. Each of these  ghats  is on the side of the Ganga that touches the town. These famed  ghats  play host to a majority of events, some which are relatively new, such as the Kabir Festival which had its second edition during November last...

Dhrupad Mela Tulsi Ghat ~  Banaras So simple and Indian the arrangement was. Neither did one notice ‘security’ males in uniform nor the ‘decked’ up females to make announcements or offer flowers. Flowers and diyas were present on the stage though – once in a while someone filled the oil! It was not ‘over’ sanitized either - had the audience at ease! Our love for hierarchy too was apparent in the 2 large chairs which sat empty most of the time. The diversity and skill of performers had a wide range of audience. Someone we had tea with had come for the 4 day event from Bombay, enjoyed from 6 pm to 6 am and slept over during the days!  Majority audience, however, seemed to be either from Europe or Bengal. Where then are the Banarasis one wondered aloud! Especially the younger generation whose representatives we had seen in crazy numbers walking the Panch Koshi Yatra a day ago!   Expresso coffee machines are not an extinct species in Varanasi unlike few ...