Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Performers across age enthrall audience at The Bhavan's Hindustani music festival

During two-day festival conceived and organised by the organisation’s Hindustani vocal teacher Chandrima Mishra, the audience were treated to solos, duets, and group performances by her students.

Performers across age enthrall audience at The Bhavan's Hindustani music festival

The Bhavan's resident Hindustani vocal teacher Chandrima Mishra presented her students in a dazzling display of talent over the last weekend of November (26-27).

In a two-day Hindustani music festival conceived and organised by Mishra, the audience were treated to solos, duets, and group performances by her students.


The Bhavan's Hindustani classical music A singing performance at the two-day Hindustani music festival held at the Bhavan, London, on November 26 and 27, 2022. (Picture: The Bhavan)

The inaugural evening was titled ‘Bhairav to Bhairavi’ which showcased a range of ragas that are sung from morning till evening.

Beginning with Ganesha Vandana, the evening saw performances by young students and masterful solo renditions by their seniors.

Starting with Raga Bhairav, the performers followed up with morning ragas, including Gunakali, Ahir Bhairav, Gujri Todi, Bhatiyar, Bilaskhani Todi; afternoon ragas Bhimpalasi, Shuddh Sarang; and evening ragas such as Multani and Puriya.

The ragas sung at night included Gorakh Kalyan, and Bihag.

The audience was mesmerised through different times of the day, starting from dawn to night and befitting the ending with a morning raga again.

The second evening was aptly titled ‘Evening Ragas’ which took the audience on a journey through melodies that are sung in the evening time. It was also an evening of gratitude as Mishra dedicated it to her late mother Gita Samanta who passed away last year.

Her younger students sang Yaman Raga and it was followed by soothing solo renditions of ragas such as Shuddha Kalyan, Madhuvanthi, Jog, and Bageshri.

A few students also took the opportunity to speak of their experiences of training at The Bhavan.

The Bhavan's Hindustani classical music Pandit Raj Kumar Mishra plays tabla at the two-day Hindustani music festival recently held at the Bhavan, London, on November 26 and 27, 2022. (Picture: The Bhavan)

The second part of the evening was dedicated to Rabindra Sangeet, and had a personal touch as Mishra herself sang a few verses of a song taught to her by her mother.

This part was a unique combination of Khayal singing and Rabindra Sangeet or songs of Indian bard Rabindranath Tagore.

The first was the song ‘Tumi Robe Nirobe’ in Behag, followed by the classical Khayal in the same raga set to 'teen taal' – ‘Jhoom Jhaam’.

The festival concluded with a grand finale in Raga Desh.

Both evenings saw Pandit Raj Kumar Mishra on tabla accompaniment along with a few of his students, and Misra herself on harmonium.

The performers, ranging from eight-year-olds to adults, showcased their skills before a jam-packed auditorium over the two days.

Mishra is currently training over 160 students in the Hindustani classical tradition at The Bhavan.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less