Kabir Festival Mumbai: Attend this three-day music festival on mystical poetry

A previous edition of the festival

What do the dohas of Kabir, the verses by Mirabai, the poetry of Bulleh Shah and the songs of Lalon Fakir have in common? They appeal to listeners to live by the universal values of love, compassion and humanity - a message that can't be stressed enough in the turbulent times that we are living in. Nearly a decade ago, in an India post the Gujarat riots, a group of music and poetry-lovers came together to reconnect people to spirituality, and in turn, a shared love and respect for the world. In its 11th edition, the Kabir Festival Mumbai returns, spreading its musical magic across venues in Bandra, Juhu and Girgaum.

Prahlad Singh Tipaniya and his team will lead a session on Kabir

The volunteer-driven festival, presented by the Sahej Foundation, is making a return after a two-year pause following the pandemic. Looking back on their journey, volunteer Falguni Desai recalls that they wanted to create more spaces that draw people together, rather than push them apart. "All mystic poets urge us to turn inwards, look at ourselves, and understand our relationship with the world because that helps us become compassionate. Although this message is there at the core of all religions, somewhere, it gets obfuscated in dogma," Desai tells us. In a city like Mumbai, where people live cheek-by-jowl, amid strife and differences, the festival attempts to ground participants in their spirituality, to fan love and humanity.

Shruthi Veena Vishwanath (centre), with Shruteendra Katagade on tabla and Yuji Nakagawa on sarangi

The line-up this year includes a dastangoi performance titled Dastan Guru Gobind Singh Ji Ki by dastango Himanshu Bajpai and Pragya Sharma, who will delve into the life of the Sikh guru. The shabads of the Guru Granth Sahib will be rendered in Gurbani by Sufi vocalist and composer Radhika Sood Nayak and Sufi singer Ragini Rainu. Padma Shri-awardee folk singer, Prahlad Singh Tipaniya, will return with Kahat Kabira, bringing alive the tenets of Kabir for the modern world. He will also lead a workshop that will offer participants a chance to soak in Malwi bhajans. Shruthi Veena Vishwanath will present Aata Bheet Nahi - a musical exploration of Kabir, Janabai, Tukaram, Akka Mahadevi and Gorakhnath, and songs that inspired strength during the pandemic. Folk singer from Kutch, Mooralala Marwada, will present Mhara Satguru Aangan Aaya. Vedanth Bharadwaj, will explore nirguni songs of nature and nurture. Among several other shows, there is a baul performance, a qawwali session, and a performance by Sairaj ChosenOne, a rapper from Dharavi who has been inspired by Kabir. Their popular early morning satsang will also return at Carter Road Promenade.

Mooralala Marwada

The post-pandemic comeback for this crowd-funded festival has not been easy, admits Desai, with collaborations and funds dwindling, and the music world changing. "The idea behind staying away from corporate sponsorship [apart from the first edition] is that we want public ownership of the fest," she signs off.

From: February 10 to 12
At: The Steps, Bandra (February 10); Birla Garden, Juhu (February 11); Carter Road Amphitheatre, Bandra (6.30 am, February 12); Laxmi Baug Hall, Girgaum (11.30 am onwards, February 12)
Log on to: @kabirfestivalmumbai