Varanasi, the Ganga and Kabir’s dohe – that’s Mahindra Kabira Festival in a nutshell. Come November and Varanasi starts to prepare for one of its most important festivals. It is important for reasons more than one.
What is Mahindra Kabira Festival all about?
Mahindra Kabira Festival is a 2-day festival that celebrates the life and work of Kabir, the 15th-century mystic poet whose teachings of love, peace, and unity are super relevant even in the turbulent times we live in.
Kabir preached inclusiveness and like every year Mahindra Kabira Festival is preparing to bring to the music lovers an unforgettable experience.
And imagine imbibing all of Kabir’s beautiful teachings sitting by the Ganga holding a hot cup of kulhad chai and enjoying the sound of waves mixing with the tunes of his songs. Nothing like it, right? This year, Varanasi is all set to organize the Mahindra Kabira Festival from 22-24 November 2019.
The ghats of Varanasi embrace every emotion. From cremation to salvation, it is not unusual to spot these at the ghats. And for two days, a little corner is taken up to celebrate love, kindness, peace, and brotherhood. There are as many fancily-dressed tourists as there are ash-smeared sadhus. Many Benaras Gharana stalwarts have done their riyaaz on the steps of these very same ghats, where mystic-poet Kabir once gained spiritual and philosophical insights. His couplets, replete with life-lessons, echo at Darbhanga ghat that wears a festive look with a makeshift stage in bright yellow and red.
What to expect at the festival
The festival will have heritage walks, literature discussions, boat rides, morning and evening musical shows, and you’ll also get a chance to savor the local cuisine of Varanasi. While the morning and evening shows are free, you’ll have to buy a one-day or two-day delegate pass for other programs. We highly recommend getting a delegate pass for it covers everything from food to almost all major programs.
The artist line-up includes Neeraj Arya’s Kabir Cafe, Ujwal Nagar, Ustad Kamal Sabri, and more classical music stalwarts who’ll also collaborate with each other to create unique fusion performances.
Just soak in the music, walk the memorable, winding alleys, get chased by bulls, hunt the bazaars for that perfect paan and taste the sharp, tangy and sweet treats on the streets, go to the weavers’ gullies where Kabir is said to have grown up and go back in time to the simpler days.
As the Ganga prepares itself for the big event with lights and boats, craving for you to be a part of a celebration which is a balm for our wretched, tired souls.
Last Updated on November 20, 2019 by Harpreet Janeja
