Veteran flute player Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia performing at the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, in Varanasi on April 14, 2023. Photo Credit: ANI
What started informally over 100 years ago by a group of musician-friends has grown into one of the biggest music festivals in North India. The place is Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple in Banaras. Around 60 concerts are organized by artistes from different parts of the country in this six-night-long festival.
Started in 1923, this festival is celebrated every year in April along with Hanuman Jayanti. The 2023 edition marked the centenary year of the festival, with Pt. Maestros including. Jasraj, Girija Devi, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Kelucharan Mahapatra in the past.
A lot has changed over the years. The unticketed festival, which began as a small performance, became an all-night extravaganza that lasted until 2 a.m. It later expanded into a two-night concert, then three, and finally, six. night program. Being special this year it was a week long event.
Although the concert, known as Attendance (Offerings), earlier placed right in front of the idol of Hanuman, are now done on the left side of the deity’s enclosure. To accommodate the crowd, screens are placed at various places inside and outside the temple. Parul (her first name preferred) Shah, an old resident of Banaras, recalled how loudspeakers once allowed them to enjoy music from the comfort of their homes.
Senior Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan performing at Sankat Mochan Music Festival in 2023. , Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Sankat Mochan Music Festival
The festival, which previously featured only male musicians, began including female artists in the late 1960s, when Kankana Banerjee, who lent vocal support to her mentor, inadvertently became the first woman to perform here. A few years later, female dancers were also invited. The festival gradually evolved into an inclusive and multi-genre celebration with the inclusion of Sufi artists and Carnatic musicians.
A music festival dedicated to Hanuman
Sankat Mochan Music Festival
inaugurated in 1923
Held annually on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti in April
Varanasi
The oldest artist in this year’s edition is Banaras-based Pt Rajeshwar Acharya, who performed here as a 12-year-old in the late 1950s. Talking about how the festival is accommodating all kinds of music, he said, “Even singing pop is not a sin.”
Purbayan Chatterjee at Sankat Mochan Music Festival in 2023. , Photo Credit: Sankat Mochan Music Festival
Thus, Punjabi pop singer Jasbir Jassi performed on the opening night, followed by ghazal singer Talat Aziz, bhajan exponent Anoop Jalota and playback singers Javed Ali and Sonu Nigam. While these performances may attract youth, some connoisseurs believe that placing them in between classical concerts detracts from the mood and spirit of the festival.
Playback singer Javed Ali performs at the Sankat Mochan Music Festival, in Varanasi on Sunday, April 16. Photo Credit: ANI
Performing in this setting is challenging for artists, yet they all eagerly wait to be invited. Held during the summer, there are no fans. Since some parts are closed and some are open, there is no audio output either. Also, the audience is seated very close. Also, at around midnight and 4.30 am, the musical programs are stopped midway for the rituals to be performed to the deity.
Pt. Sajan Mishra will perform on the last day of ‘Sankat Mochan Sangeet Mahotsav’ in Varanasi on 17th April, 2023. Photo Credit: PTI
Senior Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, who made her debut at the festival this year, felt she could establish an instant rapport with the appreciative audience. For many music and dance lovers, who come from across the country, it is an annual pilgrimage. Uma Rajasekhara from Mysuru has been participating in the festival since 1964. “I have many priceless memories. I have heard many unique concerts here. Rasika Ram Singh, an elder from Patna, said, “I don’t understand the intricacies of music, but feel connected from within. The temple complex clearly brings out the spirituality in our music.
According to Emmanuel Lebrun, director of the French Institute in New Delhi, who attended the festival, “The experience was incredible. For hours I stood and listened to the music being performed.”
Viewers of Sonu Nigam’s performance at the Sankat Mochan Music Festival, held in April 2023. Photo Credit: Sankat Mochan Music Festival
Pakhawaj maestro, Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, mahant of Sankat Mochan Temple, who is also the organizer of the festival, said, “This centenary year was the result of our hard work and desire to showcase our culture in all its diverse colours.”