One of Pune's most famous and revered Music festivals
Sawai Gandharva has built patronage not only
in India but all over the globe. The Festival is
famous for the internationally acclaimed Indian
Classical Music maestros like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi,
Zakir Hussain, Pandit Jasraj, Shiv Kumar Sharma
and many budding musicians it presents.
This
festival was first organized to mark the
first death anniversary of ShriSawai
Gandharva Classical Musician and Guru
of famous vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
in 1953.
There on from the initial success, this festival
has seen growing patronage every year.The festival
has seen a numerous amount of changes in location,
till the last one, on the grounds of the school
New English School, Ramanbaug. The festival has
had a purview of some of the top artists in the
classical music scene.
With
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi making it a point to
perform at every festival with the ones, he
couldn’t due to poor health. The festival
starts in the evening and carries on till
daybreak over a period of three days.
The ambience ought to be felt to be known. As held
during winters, the cold doesn’t deter the
interest of the listeners who come equipped with
blankets. Stalls for Coffees and teas are a must
in cold nights, along with samosas and a number
of eatables. Many books and cassettes of and about
the artists are available. The festival has invitational
passes and tickets, which can be, bought on the
venue itself. The hot coffees, biting cold, soul
stimulating music, blankets and sleeping children,
many non-listeners have turned to classical music
with devotion now. Interestingly, you may also find,
people sitting near the sound speakers recording
the live performances. So for lovers of classical
music, Pune Sawai Gandharva is the place
for an experience, which is becoming rather rare
now days.
