Kumar Gandharva

How does it feel to perform on the ghats by the river Ganga in Varanasi? Hindustani classical singer, Bhuvanesh Komkali performing in Varanasi at the Mahindra Kabira Festival. (Mahindra Kabira Festival) This place is extremely beautiful. The way in which the Mahindra Kabira Festival has been organized, the choice of location, and the entire thought process behind the curation is wonderful. Being on the ghats always leaves a strong impression on my mind. It inspires me deeply. In fact, Varanasi, on the whole, is…

The sixth edition of the Mahindra Kabira Festival, held from November 18 to 20 on the banks of the river Ganga in Varanasi, was a magnificent celebration of the 15th-century weaver-poet Kabir’s words and wisdom. The city, also called Kashi and Benaras, was where Kabir spent much of his life. The festival was memorable not only because of the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets that could be witnessed from the venues – Guleria Ghat and Shivala Ghat – but also because the itinerary was packed with a broad range of offerings…

Tell me about your childhood. How did you begin writing songs?Not even in my wildest dreams as a child did I ever think that I’d be a songwriter. I was in a very middle-class family in Indore. My parents were working at a bank and simultaneously learning music. They were disciples of Kumar Gandharva. But culturally, in the city of Indore, there was nothing happening that would produce a songwriter. There was no such environment. The only place was Pandit Kumar Gandharva’s house where sometimes, if I got the window, I…