Set in the luscious greens of Sunder Nursery, Delhiites will be able to revel in the sound of music and nature, all at once, at a music festival that aims to engender an atmosphere of inner quietude, peace and a calm amid the new normal. Organised by Jodhpur RIFF and the British Council, in association with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, The Classic Bagh Festival will be a one-day affair for music aficionados.
“I had been doing virtual concerts amid the pandemic, but for an artist, nothing compares to the joy of seeing people respond to your music while they are seated in front of you. I am glad that visitors will be able to enjoy my songs in a beautiful setting like Sunder Nursery. We need to have more areas for music performances in the Capital and the festival is a great initiative in that direction,” says Delhi artist Mahima Dayal Mathur who goes by her moniker Bawari Basanti, and will be performing at the event.
Starting with a lakeside dawn chorus, the event will feature multiple artists and vocal recitals from the Hindustani, Sufi, Bhajan, Shabad and Qawwali traditions and be held at different locations within the venue. Delhi based Qawwali singer Dhruv Sangari ‘Bilal Chishti’ opines, “I am glad to see that there is a realisation that many artists really need work amid the pandemic, as the community has struggled in the last year. The event has musicians across genres, and will honour India’s long standing traditional music practitioners along with contemporary artists. I will perform old ragas of the Sufi-Bhakti music and hope more events of this kind bring back the era of open-air concerts.”
At Sunder Nursery, staging and seating will be aligned to covid-19 protocols with adequate social distancing. “Nizamuddin Tomb area is really rooted in the Sufi tradition, which will be the highlight of the event. We have designated performance areas at the nursery which are ideal for a large gathering such as this. The amphitheatre has a capacity of 1000 people, but 200 people will be seated with 6 feet distance between them, making it a safe experience for the visitors. With the festival, we hope to make Sunder Nursery the hub of cultural events in Delhi,” says Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
{{/usCountry}}At Sunder Nursery, staging and seating will be aligned to covid-19 protocols with adequate social distancing. “Nizamuddin Tomb area is really rooted in the Sufi tradition, which will be the highlight of the event. We have designated performance areas at the nursery which are ideal for a large gathering such as this. The amphitheatre has a capacity of 1000 people, but 200 people will be seated with 6 feet distance between them, making it a safe experience for the visitors. With the festival, we hope to make Sunder Nursery the hub of cultural events in Delhi,” says Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
{{/usCountry}}The event is also a special UK-India celebration which brings together artistes and audiences in a safe environment. Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts British Council India, says, “We all know the impact that the pandemic has had on the creative sector. The Classic Bagh festival is going to be a shining example of what creative events can be in the post Covid-19 world - sustainable, sensitive and inclusive, with the artist at the centre of it.”
Catch It LIVE:
What: The Classic Bagh Festival
When: March 21, 2021
Where: Sunder Nursery, Delhi
Timings: 6am - 10pm
Nearest Metro station: JLN Stadium on Violet Line
Author tweets @bhagat_mallika
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