Pune: At the break of dawn when Maharashtra welcomes Diwali, Indian raga sangeet, devotional abhangs and lighter melodies bring together people from all walks of life. The Diwali Pahat tradition, which took shape in Pune in the early 1990s in Pune, is evolving as organisers experiment with formats and festive attractions to draw younger crowds while musicians preserve its core: morning ragas performed at the hour they belong to.“For me, music is a thread that brings a family together. My father is my guru, and performing in Pune during Diwali, with my family around, is always special,” said vocalist Viraj Joshi, whose father, Srinivas Joshi, is also performing in the city this season. Viraj’s schedule includes performances in Delhi, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune.He remains committed to a classical foundation. “Audiences always want to hear the abhangs and traditions of my grandfather pandit Bhimsen Joshi, and I make it a point to begin my concerts with a raga. I include several morning ragas because this is one of the few occasions when audiences get to hear them performed,” he said.Srinivas Joshi, Viraj’s father said Diwali Pahat was perhaps the only occasion for artistes to perform at that hour and share morning ragas. “I cherish the tradition of beginning Diwali with an uplifting classical music concert. It’s an important way to begin the festival personally too as I get to celebrate with my musical and extended family of listeners.Organisers, meanwhile, are finding ways to broaden the experience. At the Ritwik Foundation for Performing Arts, this year’s Swar Prabhat on Nov 1 featured Jaipur-Atrauli gharana exponent Shruti Sadolikar in a full-length morning recital, accompanied by tabla player Abhay Datar and harmonium player Anant Joshi.“Usually, we have two artistes sharing a concert. This time, we wanted to give one artiste the space for a full-length morning mehfil,” said Shruti Porwal of the foundation. She said 35-40% of registrations came from new audiences. The organisation is seeking younger listeners, and the recorded recital will be uploaded on YouTube during Diwali.At Pune International Centre (PIC), the Oct 31-Nov 1 programme took the celebration beyond the concert stage. Alongside vocalist Shruti Vishwakarma Marathe’s performance, accompanied by Pranav Gurav on tabla and Leeladhar Chakradev on harmonium, an exhibition brought together local vendors selling pottery, ceramics, faral, chocolates and handmade products.PIC co-convener for art and culture Jui Tawade said its first Diwali Pahat aimed to combine local Diwali businesses with a concert and offer residents of surrounding areas, including Panchavati, a cultural gathering closer to home.The musical canvas will also extend to instrumental collaborations, with flautist Rakesh Chaurasia and Mohan veena exponent Vishwa Mohan Bhatt scheduled to perform together on Nov 6 at Phoenix Avenue of Stars in Viman Nagar.NIBM Road resident Piyush Mehta, who discovered Diwali Pahat after moving to Pune in 2015, said attending with parents and children had become a tradition. Concerts began across the city last week and will continue through Diwali week.
