Venue: Ahemdabad, Guajarat
Duration: Thirteen days
Time: First and Second week of January
Highlights: Instrumental and dance groups, Tala Vadya Kacheri, Rajasthani and Punjabi folk music
Saptak Music Festival calls for the celebration of Indian classical music and is usually conducted on the first week of January in Ahmedabad every year. This festival was inaugurated by Pt. Ravi Shankar in 1980. The festival which spans for the first 11 days of January showcases the best talents and presents as many as hundred musicians with sincere commitment to standards. The festival promises the best talents and presents as many as hundred musicians with sincere commitment to standards. The leading vocalists and instrumentalists participate in this festival on a regular note. Some of the innovative features of this festival have been instrumental and dance ensembles, Tala Vadya Kacheri, Rajasthani and Punjabi folk music. The fading traditions of vocal music like Thumri and Dhrupad, and instruments like Sarangi and Pakhawaj have been kept alive in this festival by inviting the older generation of artists specializing in these fields. The festival also gives opportunity to budding singers, instrumentalists, musicians, etc. to portray their talents on stage.
History
The festival was started in 1980 by Nandan and Manju Mehta, Rupande Shah, Bharti Parikh and D.D. Trivedi, with the blessings of Pandit Ravi Shankar and the late Pandit Kishan Maharaj. The festival features both emerging talents and established performers. Besides pure classical music, it also includes performances of folk music, classical dance forms, and semi-classical forms such as thumri. This thirteen-day extravaganza comprises of all form of music, Hindustani, Carnatic and Ghazals.
Spread of the Festival
Forwarding quite an unusual experience, Saptak Music Festival is a delight for all music lovers, in India and abroad. Both proficient and emerging talents perform at the same platform. With nearly 125 top artistes and about 50 performances spread over 13 days, the music connoisseurs from all over India and abroad converge at the Saptak Music Festival for an unparalleled experience. Though there are no tickets and reservations for the festival, visitor need to however have an invitation card.
Other Attractions
Ahmedabad is the largest and most developed cities of the state of Ahmedabad and boasts of several tourist attraction sites. Whiel attending the Saptak Music Festival, you can also indulge in the International Kite Festival that is held during the same time at Ahmedabad. Additionally, you can also explore the famous Sabarmati Ashram and Sardar Patel National Memorial. The Jhulta Minar, Sarkhej Roza and Teen Darwaza are other places to see. As far as visiting religious places is concerned, you cannot miss out on Ahmed Shah Mosque and Akshardham Temple while on your visit to Ahmedabad.
How to Reach:
By Air: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is located 8 kms from the railway station and is well connected with the numerous cities of India
By Rail: Ahmedabad railway station is one of the most important railheads of Western Railway Zone and is linked with all the major cities of India through the extensive rail network.
By Road: National Highway 8 connects Ahmedabad to Delhi and Mumbai, while National Highway 8C links it to Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat.
