Music and Youth
Delhi’s largest Indian music festival ‘Swar Utsav’
MUMBAI: The much awaited 3 day music festival ‘Swar Utsav’ took place in Delhi this weekend. Festival was inaugurated by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group and Mala Sekhri, COO, Music Today.
The 3 day festival was a treat to Delhi’s music lovers. The uniqueness of this festival lied in its capacity to attract the best talent in all genres of Hindustani music namely devotional, classical, sufi, folk, fusion and now even Bollywood.
Day 1 featured Classical performance Raga By Moonlight by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty followed by a fusion concert, Confluence which had maestros like Ustaad Shujaat Hussain Khan (Sitar), Pandit T. H. Vikku Vinayakram (Ghatam), George Brooks (Saxophone) and Ajay Prasanna (Flute).
Day 2 of Swar Utsav started early morning with devotional rendition, Divinity by Pandit Channulal Mishra who kept the audience spell-bound under the bright sun. The evening was a soulful affair with Qawwali by Warsi Brothers and mesmerising Sufiana Kalam by Hans Raj Hans.
Day 3 began with Gurbani session, Shabad Kirtan by young Ashupreet Kaur. And the finale was grand with Bollywood singer KK.
The three days of mesmerising music under nature’s bliss came to an end with people asking for more. Dignitaries present at the closing ceremony included Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Mr. Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice President, Hyundai Motors, Mala Sekhri, COO, Music Today among others.
Swar Utsav 2014 was embraced with much warmth by Delhi and the way audience turned up in thousands despite of chilling weather is really phenomenon.
Speaking about the event, Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief – The India Today Group said “Swar Utsav was started by the India Today Group in 2000 and soon became the largest Indian Music Festival in Delhi. We, at The India Today Group are proud to be reviving this grand stage and bringing the best musicians in the country together for Delhi’s citizens.”
The annual music festival which won many accolades, had maestros performing and thousands of fans listening to them under the stars, is back with the immense support of many partners including Hyundai as the presenting partner.
The festival partners include Liberty, Organic India, Sahitya Kala Academy, The Punjabi Academy, Minsitry of Culture Government of India, and DDA amongst others.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
