The upcoming edition of Barkha not only falls on Independence Day, but also marks the 25th anniversary since Banyan Tree began this monsoon-themed concert. This year’s event will see performances by flautist S Shashank, and vocalists Sanjeev Abhyankar and Ashwini Bhide.

India is perhaps the only land where we have specific melodies for different seasons. According to Nandini Mahesh, who co-founded Banyan Tree Events with her husband Mahesh Babu, the idea behind the festival was to present monsoon ragas, both instrumentally and vocally. Since they are not performed during the rest of the year, most people are unaware of them.

“Initially, we began in Mumbai, eventually moving to Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. This year, we are taking the concert to Tier-II cities such as Hubballi and Belgaum as well. Our wish is for people to experience rare ragas such as ‘Chaya Malhar’, ‘Meerabai Malhar’ and ‘Dhuliya Malhar’, apart from more well-known ones such as ‘Miyan ki Malhar’ and ‘Megh’.”

“Instrumental recitals have their own charm, but when it is a vocal presentation, the lyrics add to their soulfulness. Beautiful descriptions of Nature, the change in flora, fauna, and the fields elevates the listener to a different plane. That is the beauty of this festival.”

Nandini remembers renowned artistes who were part of the festival but have since passed, such as pakhawaj maestro Bhavani Shankar. “People used to tell us his renditions on the pakhawaj (a percussion instrument) reminded them of thunder clouds. I remember one concert where he spent close to 20 minutes on the pakhawaj, bringing to mind the gathering of a storm.”

Nandini says seasonal ragas are more of a Hindustani concept than a Carnatic one. “For the past few editions we have been encouraging South Indian classical musicians to present compositions such as the Amrutvarshini that describe the rain. This edition of Barkha Ritu will also see jugalbandis between both classical forms that transcend musical boundaries.”

The concert is being held as a fundraiser for Tender Roots Academy of Performing Arts, an initiative of Banyan Tree that aims to preserve dying forms of Indian art and culture. “A little over a decade ago, we realised there were not many children at our concerts. We felt the best age to expose young minds to our culture was not when they were in their 20s, but earlier. Tender Roots focuses on bringing awareness to school-going children.”

Nandini says as part of the initiave, Banyan Tree takes both Indian and international artistes associated with them, to spend a day at schools. “We also host festivals specifically for children in different cities, and offer scholarships for the gifted. We go to all types of schools including those that cater to children with learning disabilities.”

Another aspect of Tender Roots includes the preservation of folk art forms, says Nandini. “Every State, and region has art forms that are unique; teaching and studying them require time, patience and perseverance. There are some instruments such as the kamaicha, a stringed instrument from western Rajasthan, that only a handful of musicians have mastery over, and not many have learnt to play.”

To keep this form from passing into the unknown, Tender Roots has begun a kamaicha project where students with a flair for this instrument are given a stipend to learn from senior artistes. Adept students are given a chance to perform at Banyan Tree’s festivals, says Nandini.

“The same is true of lyrical compositions, so we offer students incentives to learn traditional lyrics and compilations to keep them from being lost to time. The chance to perform is a huge encouragement and helps ensure the sustenance and continuation of these art forms.”

Barkha Ritu by Banyan Tree will be presented at Chowdiah Memorial Hall on August 15 from 6.30pm. Tickets priced from ₹750 are available on BookMyShow.

Published - August 07, 2026 01:03 pm IST