A festival of the Indian classical artforms on
the banks of the sacred river Narmada
Mornings have intimate lecture demonstrations with interaction between our moderator, Anjana Rajan, the artists, and resident guests. Evening performances are set in the beautiful environments of Maheshwar’s river bank ghats, temples, and fort battlements.
This February, Ahilya Fort is delighted to present the 21st annual Sacred River Festival. Presented by The Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Charitable Memorial Trust and Ms. Mary McFadden, this unique cultural event offers guests four days of immersion in India’s rich performing culture, with examples of the vocal, instrumental, and dance idioms.
Mornings have intimate lecture demonstrations with interaction between our moderator, Anjana Rajan, the artists, and resident guests. Evening performances are set in the beautiful environments of Maheshwar’s river bank ghats, temples, and fort battlements.
Over the last 21 years, The Sacred River Festival has presented a broad range of artists from all over India. This year we have chosen younger artistes from the State of Madhya Pradesh, wishing to give them the opportunity to share their art with our guests at Ahilya Fort and the citizens of Maheshwar.
Over the last 21 years, The Sacred River Festival has presented a broad range of artists from all over India. This year we have chosen younger artistes from the State of Madhya Pradesh, wishing to give them the opportunity to share their art with our guests at Ahilya Fort and the citizens of Maheshwar.
As always, The Sacred River Festival has a theme which will be explained during the lecture demonstrations and developed by the artists’ performances in the evening. This year’s theme is the Sanskrit word Utpatti, recalling the oneness from which all diversity emerges.
Art is a splendid vehicle to rediscover the oneness of all humanity. India, like the rest of the world, has a profusion of art traditions that give color to its culture and yet proceed from shared elements: rhythm and melody, shape and hue and movement. Likewise, one essential humanity makes us all one, even as an infinite variety renders us diverse.
In this year’s Sacred River Festival, we try to see the arts as both metaphor and vehicle to realize our essential human unity. Through instrumental and vocal renditions and dance, the artists at SRF’24 seek to bring to life the ancient maxim that ‘the truth is one, the wise call it by many names.
As always, The Sacred River Festival has a theme which will be explained during the lecture demonstrations and developed by the artists’ performances in the evening. This year’s theme is the Sanskrit word Utpatti, recalling the oneness from which all diversity emerges.
Art is a splendid vehicle to rediscover the oneness of all humanity. India, like the rest of the world, has a profusion of art traditions that give color to its culture and yet proceed from shared elements: rhythm and melody, shape and hue and movement. Likewise, one essential humanity makes us all one, even as an infinite variety renders us diverse.
In this year’s Sacred River Festival, we try to see the arts as both metaphor and vehicle to realize our essential human unity. Through instrumental and vocal renditions and dance, the artists at SRF’24 seek to bring to life the ancient maxim that ‘the truth is one, the wise call it by many names.
As an artist it was a beautiful moment to perform at the courtyard of the Abode of Lord Shiva near the sacred riverbed of Narmada.
Guruvayoor Dr T V Manikandan,
(Carnatic Vocalist)
SRF’17
Performing on the banks of River Narmada with the Ahilya Fort as the backdrop, transported me to a different time and space.
Deepa Chakravarthy
(Mohiniyattam Dancer)
SRF’20
I loved the idea of artists being given a theme to work on. It was unifying and at the same time challenging.
Rama Sundar Ranganathan
(Hindustani Vocals – Indore Gharana)
SRF’20
As an artist it was a beautiful moment to perform at the courtyard of the Abode of Lord Shiva near the sacred riverbed of Narmada.
Guruvayoor Dr T V Manikandan,
(Carnatic Vocalist)
SRF’17
Performing on the banks of River Narmada with the Ahilya Fort as the backdrop, transported me to a different time and space.
Deepa Chakravarthy
(Mohiniyattam Dancer)
SRF’20
I loved the idea of artists being given a theme to work on. It was unifying and at the same time challenging.
Rama Sundar Ranganathan
(Hindustani Vocals – Indore Gharana)
SRF’20
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