A Dawn with Bhairav, an Evening Steeped in Bengali Melodies: Lucknow Resonates with Music

Lucknow, February 2:
Lucknow’s deep-rooted bond with music unfolded in spellbinding fashion at the ‘Sehar’ programme of the SANTAKADA Festival, held at Raja Rampal Singh Park, Kaisarbagh. As a cold Sunday dawn broke gently over the city and birds joined nature’s orchestra with their chirping, the strains of classical music wove a magical tapestry that left the audience mesmerised.

The early morning concert was elevated by the presence of Ustad Irfan Mohammad Khan, Khalifa of the Lucknow–Shahjahanpur Gharana, on the sarod, accompanied by Ustad Ilmas Hussain Khan, Khalifa of the Lucknow Gharana, on the tabla. Together, they created a soundscape that reflected Lucknow’s refined musical ethos.

Lucknow: More Than Brick and Mortar

The evening opened with an address by Prof. Mandavi Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, who eloquently highlighted the inseparable relationship between the city and its musical heritage. She remarked that Lucknow is not merely a city of bricks and stones, but a living repository of melodies and cultural memory.

Following her address, Ustad Irfan Mohammad Khan began his recital with Raag Bhairav, setting a meditative tone that perfectly matched the serenity of dawn.

Sarod Melodies That Cast a Spell

Ustad Irfan presented a drut bandish in Bhairav composed by his great-grandfather Shafaqat Khan, lending the performance a rare sense of lineage and legacy. The concert then gracefully transitioned into Raag Bhairavi, where the sarod’s flowing meends found perfect rhythmic companionship in the tabla.

Ustad Ilmas Hussain Khan showcased his mastery through uthaan, kaida, rela, and tihai, drawing special applause for his rendition of ‘Rang’, a distinctive and original feature of the Lucknow Gharana.

An Evening of Spiritual Bengali Melodies

As dusk settled, the festival took on a contemplative hue with Borno Ananyo’s soulful rendering of Bengali songs, transforming the evening into an emotional and spiritual journey.

The performance opened with Durbi Shah’s composition “Namaj Amar Hoilo Naam Aday”, a poignant portrayal of a humble devotee’s direct dialogue with the divine. The song conveyed the powerful idea that true devotion resides in the heart, filling the atmosphere with introspection and quiet reverence.

This was followed by Chandidas’s composition “Dhairyo Jo Naam Dhurite”, which expressed the pain of separation between Radha and Krishna, as Radha urges her heart to embrace patience amid longing.

A Festival That Celebrates the Soul of the City

The programme stood as a testament to Lucknow’s enduring cultural elegance, where classical traditions continue to breathe and evolve. From the sacred calm of Raag Bhairav at dawn to the emotive depth of Bengali devotional music in the evening, the festival reaffirmed that music in Lucknow is not merely performed—it is lived.