Pandit Rahul Sharma at Barkha Ritu 2026 at Nehru Centre Auditorium, Mumbai. Photo: Banyan Tree Events

Banyan Tree celebrated the 25th edition of their concert series Barkha Ritu with a brilliant concert, “A musical celebration with the maestros,” at the Nehru Centre Auditorium, Mumbai on Aug. 7, 2026.

The concert was played to a full house.

Three diverse artists were featured in this concert, each bringing their own class to the event, each in their own ways.

Pandit Rahul Sharma opened the evening with an inspired performance on the santoor. He played a set of two compositions with Ojas Adhiya accompanying him on the tabla. They complemented each other well throughout their set. The second piece played was a pahadi dhun which displayed the santoor in its original form as a folk instrument.

From the gentle, almost polite sound of the santoor, we moved on to the charming and persuasive vocal set of Pandit Venkatesh Kumar. He regaled the audience with his vocal artistry and topped off his set with an impromptu rendering of the famous bhajan, “Ram Ratan Dhan Payo.” He sang this bhajan on being requested for it by someone in the audience. Pandit Venkatesh Kumar could well have played all night and the audience would have remained.

We then moved on to hear a superb sitar recital from Ustad Shahid Parvez. We have rarely heard the sitar played with such subtlety, so much Nazakat. He played with the power of the silence between the notes with great effect. Ojas Adhiya was again the tabla accompanist on this set.

Adhiya’s virtuosity added much to two of the three performances we heard in the evening. He is a fine craftsman and enhances the quality of a performance.

Exploring monsoon ragas for 25 years now, Banyan Tree can take a bow for the sustained and continued curation of this Barkha Ritu series.

Mumbai is not the only city where this festival is performed. Banyan Tree extends it to several cities. The curation of the artists varies from one venue to another.

Based on their fine programming in Mumbai, the high standards are sure to be replicated elsewhere.