Merging the sounds of spiritualism

The Capital brought forth its spiritual side as Bhakti Sangeet brings different devotional streams together. Presented by the Delhi Government’s Department of Art, Culture and Languages and the Sahitya Kala Parishad, the second day (10 May) of the three-day festival saw different streams of truth merge together in expression. The performances by Shubha Mudgal and Mohammad Irshad regaled audience present over there. 

The day began with the Buddhist chanting of Bhutan  followed by the message of Krishna Bhakti by O S Arun and Mohammad Irshad then enamored the audience by rendering the pure kalams of Bulle Shah. Mudgal ended the evening singing from the school of Nirgun bhakti.

The first day of the festival witnessed the recitations from the Rig Veda by K Vasedevan Namboothiri, A M Kesavan and K Madhavan Namboothiri. 

The chanting from the Vedas was followed by the mystic Baul singing of Bengal by Parvathi Baul. More for the evening was Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans crooning to the devotional Punjabi Sufi kalams, stirring the spiritual hearts of the audience and listeners.

The festival  featured 14 devotional singers of different genres, including bhajans, the sufi qawwali tradition of India as well as the traditions of Krishna bhakti.

'Devotional music is one form of expression that can be found in every kind of civilization, society and tribe. Given the multiplicity of religious beliefs in India, it is no wonder that we have an extremely rich and versatile tradition of devotional music.

 We can find Bhakti Sangeet in every language we encounter and in every region we visit. We are a nation of spirituality and we have multifarious ways of professing our love to God. Bhakti Sangeet is unique as it brings together all different genres of devotional music prevalent in India on one stage', says Rinku Dugga, Secretary, Department of Art, Culture and Languages, Govt of Delhi. It was our bhakti and sufi saints who laid the foundation of our composite culture and the festival  was an ode to it.