A harmonious blend of faith & music as curtains fall on Sankat Mochan Music Fest in Varanasi

Varanasi: Creating a harmonious blend of faith and music, the soothing sounds of conch shells and temple bells resonated with the grand musical performances on the last day of Sankat Mochan Music Festival on Monday night.
The night began with an Odissi dance repertoire by Ratikant Mohapatra, Sujata Mohapatra and students from Srijan Sanstha. The act started with Sabari dance drama, adorned with various captivating dance episodes, showcasing intricate hand and foot movements and expressive gestures. The entire performance was visually enchanting and left a magical impact on the audience.
The subsequent performance saw senior vocalist Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar mesmerising the audience with his soulful voice. He began with two compositions in Raga Kedar set to Trital, followed by a Tarana, concluding the first segment. He then concluded his performance with a composition in Malkauns Bahar. Pandit Suresh Talwalkar and Pandit Vinay Mishra joined him on the harmonium.
As the event progressed, Mehtab Ali Niyazi from Mumbai set the tone with sitar recital. He played Raga Bageshree, starting with an alap, followed by three compositions in Dhamar, Jhaptal and Ektal. Yashwant Vaishnav Khurram Ali Niyazi assisted him on tabla. He was followed by bhajan samrat Anup Jalota, who enthralled the audience with a series of popular bhajans.
After Jalota, Pandit Suresh Gandharva from Delhi presented a vocal recital. He sang two compositions in Raga Abhogi, followed by a Thumri. He was accompanied by Pankaj Rai on tabla and Mohit Sahni on harmonium. The sixth performance featured a flute recital by Pandit Ronu Majumdar and Rishikesh Majumdar. They introduced Raga Parameshwari on the flute, performing a composition in Dhamar.
As dawn struck, Pandit Sajan Mishra and Swaransh Mishra took the stage to present the last performance of the festival.
They sang two compositions in Raga Basant Mukhari, concluding with bhajans. They were accompanied by Rajkumar Nahar on tabla, Dharmnath Mishra on harmonium, and Nayak Sahay on sarangi.
At the end of the six-day extravaganza, Mahant Prof. Vishwambharnath Mishra blessed the artists. The renowned film actor from Mumbai and son of the great singer Ustad Amir Khan, Shahbaz Khan, who attended the conference, was honoured with a ceremonial ang-vastram by the mahant.