Vedic chanting refers to the recitation of the hymns of the Vedas, the most ancient sacred texts of India. Counted among one of the four Vedas, the Rig is a magnificent collection of over 10,000 verses. These contain ancient prayers for prosperity and hymns dedicated to several nature gods. As one of the oldest religious tradition of the world, Vedic chanting has continued for several millennia. Some of its verses continue to be recited as Hindu prayers at religious and other occasions. The tradition has been kept alive and unbroken by a handful of people who implicitly understand that fidelity to pronunciation and accent is important because of the belief that the energy of the mantra is in its sound. The human voice chanting these verses has the healing power to replenish the universe, and promote harmony and health. K.M. Vasudevan Namboothiri and N.M Narayanan present Rigvedic Chanting. Shri Namboothiri learned Sanskrit and the Rig Veda traditionally. After his post-graduation in Statistics, he worked as an officer in the Indian Statistical Service. H sought voluntary retirement after 21 years and is now engaged fully in the teaching and propagation of the Rig Veda. Dr Narayanan is a scholar of the Rig Veda and studied the canon through the traditional system up to Ghanapatha, or ‘Bell mode’ – an advanced stage of learning to chant the scripture in which words are repeated back and forth in a bell shape. A Ph.D in Sanskrit Poetics, he is Assistant Professor, Department of Sanskrit at Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur.

The Sukta begins with the Mantra ‘Bhadram karnebhih….’ in Rig Veda. This 10-verse sukta invokes all the divine beings of the cosmos, requesting them to bestow noble thoughts, well-being, health and long life to all animate and inanimate objects in the world. The sukta also wishes brotherhood and peace among the human beings of the world. The 10 verses will be first chanted in Samhita Swara. The eighth verse, or Rk - Bhadram karnebhih srunuyama devah… will be chanted in Samhita, Pada, Krama, Jata and Ratha modes (all elaborated musical methods of chanting).

“How can I know the right / So helpless am I / You have hid your face from me/O, thou most high / I call again and again at your high gate / None hears me, empty is the house, and desolate...” Tuka or Tukaram is, perhaps, the crown of bhakti in Maharashtra. Lord Vitthala, an incarnation of Vishnu, was the be-all of his life and ‘Tuka’ – as he refers to himself – sings of the pain of separation from his Lord in his abhangs. A collection of over 4000 of such devotional poems is attributed to Tukaram. Along with Namdev, Dnyaneshwar, Janabai and Eknath, Tukaram is the high point of the Bhagabata Hindu tradition revered in the ‘warakari’ way which emphasizes community service and musical group worship. Tukaram's kirtanas, or religious discourses, focused on love for fellow human beings as the expression of true religion rather than rituals and mechanical study of the scriptures. This evening Bhuvanesh Mukul Komkali sings Tukaram. The musical quest of Bhuvanesh – grandson of Pt. Kumar Gandharva and son of Mukul Shivputra – began in his infancy. With an unerring ear for rhythm and beat, the self-taught table player continues to learn from his grandmother Vasundhara Komkali and Pt. Madhup Mudgal. Trained in the fundamentals of music by such accomplished teachers has deepened Bhuvanesh's commitment to preserve and extend his heritage which reflects in his presentation of a composition, a raga. With a voice deeper in pitch than his grandfather’s, he is strikingly similar to Kumarji in weaving of fast tonal patterns. Bhuvanesh has a deep, mellifluous voice so fitting for bhajan.

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, an outstanding vocalist of the famed Jaipur-Atrauli Khayal Gayaki tradition, represents the new generation of younger veterans worthy of taking the mantle of the old masters. Born in a musically rich atmosphere, Ashwini completed Sangeet Visharad from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya at 16 and won the President’s Gold Medal at the All India Radio Music Competition in 1977. After studying the rudiments of Hindustani classical music under Pt. Narayanrao Datar, she began imbibing all the traditional aspects of stylized Jaipur Gayaki under the exacting tutelage of her mother, mentor and guru, Smt Manik Bhide. Thoroughly grounded in the Jaipur-Atrauli Khayal Gayaki tradition, Ashwini has developed into an artiste of immense public acclaim and earned high praise from discerning critics and music lovers the world over. She has travelled extensively, participating in various prestigious music conferences and sangeet sammelans. A top-grade artiste of the AIR and Doordarshan, Ashwini has featured in several national programmes and AIR sangeet sammelans. Her music is characterized by a blend of tonal sweetness coupled with vitality, emotion and raga structure-architecture. Although a classicist by temperament and training, Ashwini is at ease equally with varieties of lighter music like thumri, dadra, bhajan and abhang. Her fluency in Sanskrit allows her to include stotras and stutis in her selections.

This evening, Ashwini presents a repertoire on Shiva. Starting with a Sanskrit stotra to the god, she goes on to sing some traditional khayal compositions, including the very famous ‘Darshana deho shankara mahadeva…’, and a bandish, ‘Shankara mahadeva…’ of Goswami Tulasidas. The artiste has chosen ragas, such as the Kedara and Shankara, to complement her presentation of the multifarious images of Shiva – He is still and serene; He is the god of anger and quintessential destroyer; He holds the trident in the hand, and the Ganga in the hair; His forehead adorned by a crescent moon, the Lord sits on the tiger-skin; and finally, He is the Linga, the creative power as also the Supreme Self.

Following in the steps of the ancient Gurukul tradition, Varanasi-based Panini Kanya Mahavidyalaya is a unique institution that instructs girls in the Vedas, Vedangas, Sanskrit grammar and Indian philosophy. Besides teaching them regular subjects like English and Mathematics, the Vidyalaya imparts to the girls a high-level learning classical music. Led by Acharya Nandita Shastri Chaturvedi, the students – T Janhavi, Dharmavati Arya, Mahima Shastri, Sanjeevani Anand, P Saujanya, Kasturi Arya, Priyanka Bharati and Pratibha Shastri – will present selected suktas and mantras from the four Vedas:

a) Ghanpatha of the mantras of Shraddha sukta, Rig Veda, in the Dakshinatya style
b) Swasti mantras of the Yajur Veda in the North Indian style
c) Rkpatha and Samagana from Sama Veda in the Samagayan tradition
d) Ghanpatha of the Shanti Sukta in the Atharva Veda style

One of India's most dynamic young Hindustani vocalists, Aditi Kaikini Upadhyaya was born into a family rich in musical tradition and artistic example. Aditi trained in the traditional style, under the dedicated and close tutelage of her guru and father, Pt Dinkar Kaikini, and her mother, Shashikala Kaikini. Panditji is a renowned vocalist of the Agra Gharana and Shashikala Kaikini is a respected radio vocalist and currently principal of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Music School in Bombay. Aditi received her Sangeet Visharad in 1982 from this school. Aditi is a worthy inheritor of her father's powerful but nuanced style of singing. She, however, has chosen to focus on light music, training under Smt Shobha Gurtu who is known for her unparalleled mastery of Dadra, Thumri and Hori. A vibrant and creative musician, Aditi has performed at prestigious venues and been hosted in India and abroad. She is an able composer and a dedicated teacher. Her ‘Chatur Sujaan Dinarang - Ek Parampara’, a large-scale choral and theatrical production, tells the fascinating story of the great musical tradition she comes from. Aditi frequently gives lecture-demonstrations and workshops on Indian classical music to both novices and connoisseurs.

This evening, Aditi sings Pt Dinkar Kaikini’s compositions dedicated to Lord Krishna. Through the poetic and lyrical bandishes, the artiste takes us on a musical journey into Krishna's life. An endearing divine newborn, a mischievous youngster, an enchanting youth, and an all-knowing saviour… the compositions try to capture the quintessential spirit of the fascinating god.

As Shafi Muhammad Faqir sings Kabir’s Saancha Saheb Ik Tu… in that languid, forlorn voice so reminiscent of the sands of the Thar and Cholistan, one is transported to a land of traditional desert melody. The poetry of Kabir – one of the brilliant jewels of nirguna bhakti – weaves its way into Shafi Faqir’s music to touch heart and soul. As the vernacular – simple, natural and shorn of dogma – fits Kabir’s philosophy like a glove, Shafi Faqir’s voice lends itself beautifully to the saint-poet’s vision of a formless, all-encompassing God.

Like most Manganhaar children, Shafi Faqir started learning from his father who played the kamaicha, the time-honoured string and bow instrument of the singer tribe but now, a rarity in Sindh. In the early eighties, he met a dervish minstrel, Hussain Ali Shah, at a shrine. The meeting opened him up to the mystical songs of Kabir, Mira Bai, Tulasidas, Baba Bulleh Shah, Sachal Sarmast, Abdul Latif Bhittai, Misri Faqir and many others. He has also trained with Ustad Majeed Khan, a sarangi player and staff artist with Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of Sham Chaurasi gharana, and the renowned Singhaar Ali Salim are his other great inspirations. The musician hails from the deserts of Tharparkar, Sindh, and also plays the dholak and kartal. Singing in Marwari, Sindhi, Punjabi, Urdu and Poorbi, he travels through the year to perform all over Sindh and Punjab. He also runs a music academy in his native town for the Manganhaar children of his community.

Indian music is synonymous with Bhakti music. South Indian composers discovered and experienced that the marriage between a raga and lyrics soaked in bhakti could elevate the soul to the doorstep of ‘archaradhi marga’ – the path to salvation. This evening, we present the compositions of South Indian saints who lived their lives full of music and bhakti – and are believed to have attained the ultimate goal of human existence.

Born to Akhila Siva and AN Siva on March 29, 1967, N Vijay Siva is an eminent Carnatic musician. Vijay Siva first started learning from his mother, a gold medalist from Carnatic Music College, Chennai. Later, he came under the tutelage of DK Jayaraman and continued to be guided by DK Pattammal. Taught by Kumbakonam Sri Rajappa Iyer, he is also an accomplished player of the mridang.

Sreejith Namboothiri MN, Bhavadas KS and Devadas KS present Sama Veda chanting. The Sama Veda is a collection of samans, or chants, derived from the Rigveda and are better known for their precision of poetic meter than for their literary quality. The Sama also meticulously instructs on how certain hymns must be sung for optimum effect on the environment and the one who chants them. The verse, or Rk, beginning ‘Yajna yajna vo agnaye…’ of Jaimineeya Sama Veda will be chanted with their modes, Archika and Samagana, or Gramageya. The four Samas of the Rk will be chanted. The Samagana or Gramageya mode of chanting is highly elaborate and musical. The elaboration of swaras of Sama chanting has various similarities to the elaboration of swaras in classical music.

The full Rk is: Yajna yajna vo agnaye Gira gira ca dakshase / Prapra vayam amrtam jatavedasam Priyam mitram na samsisham //. Translated, the verse means, “Oh! Rtwiks (purohitas of yaga!), please pray to God Agni in Yagas for prosperity. You praise God Agni who knows everything, who is eternal and who is the friend of the universe.”
Sreejith Namboothiri MN has studied the Sama Veda (Keraleeya Jaimineeyapatha) traditionally. He did his Acharya degree in Sanskrit, post which he has been teaching at Vadakke Madham Brahmaswam since 2007. He has participated in and presented papers on the Vedas at many seminars in the state and other parts of India. Bhavadas KS and Devadas KS, 12 and 11 years respectively, have been learning Sama Veda traditionally since 2007.

In the tradition of saint-poets of India, there has been a considerable presence of women spiritual seekers, saint poetesses and ascetic-mendicants, who recorded their spiritual experiences and realizations in the form of hymns and songs. Their songs not only bear the distinctive impression of their personal and spiritual journey but also throw significant light on the social and cultural milieu of their era. Some prominent women spiritual seekers include Rishika Vak Ambhrini, daughter of the venerated Vedic sage Ambhrina; Kodai Andal, Akka Mahadevi, Muktabai, Lalla or Lal Ded, Meerabai, Liralbai and many others across India, who made their voices felt through their songs of devotion and deep spiritual realization. They composed and sang in many languages but the heart of expression was one – of devotion, love and oneness with their gods or divinities. Some of these lyrical forms date back to thousands of years, while some are a few centuries old and are sung even today by musicians and laymen alike.

Dr Subhadra Desai’s music is characterized by a graceful voice and meditative timbre. Initiated into music at an early age by Pt. Vinay Chandra Maudgalya and Smt. Padma Devi at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi, Subhadra has been a senior disciple of Padmashri Pt. Madhup Mudgal and continues to receive his guidance to achieve greater rigour and artistic insight into her music. Subhadra has been performing for the past decade and a half in various national music festivals and other fora in Delhi and other cities, notable of which are Pt. Vishnu Digambar Jayanti and HCL Concert Series. She has also performed in Korea and Germany. Subhadra is the first recipient of the coveted Mani Mann Fellowship for young artists in Hindustani Classical Vocal Music, instituted under the aegis of Sanskriti Pratishthan, New Delhi. Subhadra received the Sahitya Kala Parishad Scholarship for young artists in 1990. She is an empanelled artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and an accredited ‘A’ grade artist in the devotional music category at All India Radio and Doordarshan. Subhadra’s repertoire includes Khayal, Sagun and Nirgun bhajans and Tappa.

Indian thought – steeped in bhakti – is broadly classified as saguna and nirguna. Saguna is devotion to a personal god – one with gunas, or attributes. The devotee remains distinct from his deity and, usually, takes recourse to certain rituals to reach the latter. Bhakti for Rama or Krishna, generally, offers the best examples of saguna bhakti and Tulasidas, Surdas and Mira are the finest poets of this stream. Nirguna bhakti is devotion to an impersonal, attribute-less godhead. Kabir is a poet par excellence of this stream.

Octogenarian Padmaram Meghwal mainly sings the bhajan of Mira, Kabir, Ramdeo, Tulasidas and Sadaram. “I, somehow, believe I am from their clan,” he says and resolves the differences between the two streams. Padmaram Meghwal is one of the finest singers in Barmer, where he lives. He learnt to play the tandura (veena) from his guru Sahja Bai Saadh with whom he lived for 10 years. Music is a source of emotional succour and connects him with God, he says. His haunting voice, coupled with the rich lyrics of Meera and other poets, makes his renditions a truly moving experience. Applauded by the illustrious folklorist and ethnomusicologist Komal Kothari several years ago, Padmaram specializes in singing for Jagrans, the all-night gatherings of devotional songs. He also sings in Sindhi. He still does riyaz and sings in a temple in his village. “With time, my talent has risen to new heights… but I can no longer perform the way I used to. Yet, growing older has not broken my confidence.”

Stemming from the Sufi tradition and shaped by the Amir Khusrau, qawwali is a popular form of devotional music that goes back nearly seven centuries. Some scholars believe it to have originated before the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Sufism – a mystical school of Islam – believes it is possible to reach the Ultimate during one’s life and experience Him in both silence and sound. Qawwali is, perhaps, the vocal form of this remembrance, or dhikr. The word ‘qawwali’ comes from the Arabic ‘qaol’, which means axiom or dictum; and a qawwal is one who sings the Prophet’s dictums and praises of God. Both religious and romantic, qawwali is sung in a simple, unpretentious style and is the traditional form of Islamic song found in India and Pakistan.

Sher Miandad and his brothers Faiz Fareed Ali Raza and Fakhar-uz-Zaman, hail from an illustrious family of qawwals in Punjab. They are a rare mix of traditional devotional qawwali and a fine understanding of modern music. The grandson of the noted qawwal, Din Mohammad Dina, and cousin of the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sher Miandad began singing in 1996 and soon rose to the top. He brings from Pakpattan Sharif the soul of Punjabi poetry – Baba Farid Gunj Shakar – whose verse moves the heart of its listeners even today. The group performs regularly at the shrine of the Sufi poet. They have also performed for PTV and Radio Pakistan and at the World Performing Festivals in Lahore. Their fusion programme with Swiss and Syrian musicians led to a novel music project called Sufi Moon. There have been Sufi Moon performances with Sher Miandad in Geneva and other European countries. The group has also performed in Mela Festival in Oslo in 2003. The singer-composer has performed at Switzerland, England and Singapore where the Bulle Shah award was conferred upon him in 2002. Sher Miandad has a keen following in Europe, America and India.