Saptak 2026: Season of epiphanies starts with classical musical fest in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: As Saptak prepares to welcome India's greatest classical musicians, a refrain from a Saint Thyagaraja composition can be an apt herald: "Endaro mahanubhavulu/Andariki vandanamulu". Translated loosely, the words mean, "Salutation to the great beings who have achieved spiritual merit".For most Indian classical musicians, ‘saadhana' or spiritual striving is the stamina-builder for their artistic pursuits. In keeping with its custom, Saptak will feature musicians whose saadhana has taken them to India's classical pantheon.The musicians include violin virtuosos N Rajam and Kala Ramnath, celebrated vocalists Parveen Sultana, Shubha Mudgal, Ulhas Kashalkar, and Umakant Gundecha; Mohan veena maestro Vishwa Mohan Bhatt; Saraswati veena stalwart Jayanthi Kumaresh; and sitar icon Shahid Parvez.As always, Saptak will begin on the first day of the New Year and run for 13 days. The venue is LD Arts College Campus, opposite IIM-Ahmedabad.The trustee of Saptak, Hetal Mehta Joshi, has already limbered up to face the challenges of an age in which AI is influencing the art-audience exchanges."Classical music has always evolved with time while remaining rooted in its core values," Joshi said. She is a tabla player and a daughter of Saptak founders, Manju and Nandan Mehta.Joshi's parents and mentors have taught her to safeguard classical authenticity, without being insular in accepting new tools to carry out that mission."Technology, when used sensitively, can become a powerful ally — helping us reach younger audiences, widen access, and deepen listening without compromising the sanctity of the art," Joshi said. "The prospect, in our view, is one of continuity with consciousness rather than disruption."The New Year promises to be exciting for inexperienced listeners who seek some handholding as they venture into the world of Indian classical music. Saptak organizers told TOI that they could consider the idea of projecting the name of the ‘raga in progress' on a screen above the stage.The purists will of course need no aid, but a first-time listener will read the raga name and experience an epiphany: "Oh, so that's Malkauns!"