3-day Hindustani music fest at Fort Jadhavgarh

The private Hindustani classical music baithak will go public where 80 patrons will get an opportunity to experience the magic from the closest quarters.
The Pandit Firoz Dastur Memorial Foundation has organised Sannidhya, a three-day, two-night residential music festival at Fort Jadhavgarh Hotel, near Saswad, 35 km from Pune between December 25 and 27.
Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar will be the maestro-in-residence and will be accompanied by tabla player Pandit Suresh Talwalkar and harmonium player Pandit Purshottam Walawalkar. Kashalkar’s disciples Ram Deshpande and Madhuri Kulkarni will be the other artistes performing at the festival.
The foundation’s trustee said it would help music-lovers build an association with the artiste. “In most Hindustani music concerts, your association with the performer is restricted to a few hours. At this residential festival, the artistes and the audience will live in close proximity. Besides the music, the audience can interact with the masters informally,” Pai said.
“Some of us have attended private baithaks of the finest musicians. The baithak concept allows us to get close to the artiste. The residential festival will introduce audiences to this unique concept,” said Pai.
On the first evening of the festival, Pandit Kashalkar will pay tribute to his gurus by singing some special ragas he learnt from them. The next day, he will give a lecture-demonstration on the type of music that has inspired him.