Bhakti or devotion has been the mainstay of Indian music and culture since ancient times. The International Foundation for Fine Arts, in collaboration with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai, recently organised a seminar on the ‘Aspect of Bhakti in Indian Music Traditions’ at its Experimental Theatre.
This initiative was part of the unbroken series of NCPA seminars started by Pt. Arvind Parikh, as the chairman of the ITC-Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) Western Region in 1991. The eagerly-awaited annual event has resumed, post-Pandemic, despite the withdrawal of support by the SRA, under the expert guidance of the musician/scholar Arvind , assisted by his disciple/daughter Purvi Parikh.
The thoughtfully conceived seminar encompassed bhakti, as reflected in almost all musical traditions prevalent in India and beyond. Besides Bhakti Sangeet, a genre that is identified with devotion and dedication towards the Almighty and the guru. The two-day seminar explored…
