Friday, March 23, 2012

Sudarshan Sangeet Mahotsav 2012

7th Pt Jitendra Abhisheki Festival

Generous offerings of 'sangeet natak,' 'bhaktisangeet,' 'ghazals' and fusion by some of the most acclaimed names in Indian music, are some of the highlights of the annual Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki Festival, the seventh edition of which will be held from March 23 to 25 at Gharkul Lawns, near Mhatre Bridge.

The three-day event will be inaugurated on March 23 at 5.30 pm in the presence of mayor Vaishali Bankar and well-known actor Shrikant Moghe. This will be followed by renditions of 'sangeet natak' and devotional songs by Raghunandan Panshikar, Archana Kanhere, Manjushree Patil, national award winner Anand Bhate, Hemant Pendse, Kalpana Jhokarkar, Vinod Digrajkar and Mugdha Bhat.


The itinerary for March 24 includes performances by Delhi-based shehnai player Bhaskar Nath, vocalist Pandit Parmeshwar Hegde and ghazals by well-known singer Hariharan.

The festival's final day will open with a solo performance by Pandit Jitendra's Abhisheki's disciple Mohan Darekar. This will be followed by 'Vibrations,' a unique fusion sequence conceptualised and put together by well-known flautist Ronu Majumdar.

This year, the festival line-up includes 25 upcoming and established artistes. "The festival is aimed at making the younger generation aware of Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki's musical contribution, and to instil in them a love of Indian classical music. Efforts are on to provide a platform to young and upcoming artistes," said Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki's son vocalist Shounak Abhisheki, at a press conference on Saturday.

The festival will also felicitate Pandit Jagannathbua Purohit's disciple, Leelatai Karambelkar, a senior classical artiste for her contributions to Indian classical music. Another award, in the memory of Pandit Jitendra Abhishek will be conferred upon Aparna Gurav, an upcoming vocalist from Pune. "This award is meant to encourage younger talent," added Abhisheki.

Festival has been organised by Tarangini Sanskrutik Pratishthan and Aapla Parisar, and has been supported by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).