Advaita was a humble attempt to honour and celebrate the work of India’s legendary women saints, most of whom were poets and acted as a “catalyst” for social change with a lot of religious zeal.
This theme-based concert tries to give an idea of the lives of seven great women:
Saint Poetess Andal, Akka Mahadevi, Janabai, Muktabai, Laleshwari, Meerabai, and Gangasati. When their ideas were written down, they became timeless and influenced women for generations to come.
The event kicked off during the twilight hours around 6.30 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the Nehru Centre Auditorium on Dr. Annie Besant Road in Worli.
Devaki Pandit came up with the idea for this concert. After studying the writing and poetry of these women saints in their native languages, one of the best classical singers was able to understand the social, cultural, and folk music traditions of their times. Through their “vachanas, abhangas, vaakh, dohas, and bhajans,” the performance shows how expressive these saint poetesses could be. Their life and poetry gave all those who wanted to follow a spiritual path hope and inspiration.
Devaki Pandit is a famous classical singer from the Atrauli gharana who has spent her whole life trying to keep the classical music tradition alive. She’s a talented musician who can play classical, semi-classical, Bhajan, Ghazal, and film music and has won many awards, including the prestigious “Young Maestros” award, which was given to her by former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Award-winning poet, lyricist, and writer Vaibhav Joshi wrote the story and lyrics for the musical journey “Advaita.” He has made Hindi versions of the original works of the seven women poets. The profound words and poetry of the saints have had a major impact on his craft, filling it with a hunger for a deep understanding of their spirituality and new ideas.
Devaki Pandit, singer and music composer, led the group of several talented musicians in this performance. Kamlesh Bhadkamkar music arranger and keyboard. Vinayak Netke (Tabla), Nilesh Parab (Percussion), Shridhar Parthasarthy (Mridangam), Sagar Sathe (Harmonium), Amar Oak (Flute), Shruti Bhave (Violin), Amogh Dandekar (Guitar), Chandrakant Lakshpati (Rabab), and Susmirata Dawalkar and Meera Nilakhe for chorus.
The seven women saint poetesses led the spiritual path to enlightenment and divine love in Advaita, the Musical Journey.
