MUMBAI: The Classical Fiesta 'Pranganga Swarotsav - Sangeet Parampara',  organized by Madhu Murchana  was recently held at Bhavan's Cultural Centre – Andheri in memory of Padmavibhushan Late Pt. Kishan Maharaj and Late Pt. Narayan Chakravarti.

Stalwarts from the classical field enthralled audiences with their captivating performances. The festival had commenced with a violin recital by Smt.Sangeeta Shankar followed by the two classical titans Dr.Soma Ghosh and Sitara devi creating sheer magic on stage together.

The second day of the fest saw Girijadevi being felicitated by Pandit Birju Maharaj for her outstanding contribution in field of classical music, followed by a vocal rendition by classical vocalist Dr.Tushar Dutta after which Pt. Birju Maharaj performed the 'Abhinay'  

Day three saw performances by Dr.M. Narmadha (Violin) and Aarti Anklikar (vocal) followed by Sandeepan Samajpati (vocal) and Pt.Buddhadev Dasgupta (Sarod) on day four. The festival culminated with a final day performance by Purbayan Chatterji (Sitar) and Pt.Vidyadhar Vyas (vocal).

Famous personalities such as Mr.Kripashankar Singh, Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Mrs.Leela Bhansali, Kathak exponents and Actresses Nandita Puri and Aditi Bhagwat were amongst others who graced the occasion.

Dr.Soma Ghosh, the founder trustee of Madhu Muchana, the organizer of this fest expressed her heartfelt gratitude to revered musicians and vocalists who participated in the fest and offered a tribute through their performances to the Legendary Maestros and supported the cause of preserving and promoting  'Endangered Traditional Musical Instruments'. Said an overwhelmed Dr.Soma Ghosh, "I am very touched by the support offered by all the renowned artists who have participated in this fest, and I do hope that we are further able to succeed in preserving our rich cultural heritage for the future generations to come. I thank one and all for their contribution in making this festival a grand success."

Madhu Murchhana, an NGO devoted to promoting Traditional Art, Culture and Music was founded by Dr.Soma Ghosh with the objective of saving traditional Indian musical instruments from extinction and to provide a platform to aspiring musicians. By promoting this among common people, and exposing them to the best of what we have in our tradition, we can give all we have to save our rich cultural heritage. The Trust is strongly campaigning the cause to preserve Endangered Traditional Musical Instruments and Endangered singing styles of various Gharanas as this aspect deserves special attention today because more and more of our youth are getting alienated from this rich classical tradition, overwhelmed as they are by the massive cultural invasion of our lives through television and now, the internet.