Chand Nizami
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Banyan Tree’s Ruhaniyat, the annual festival of saints and mystics set to song, turns 25 this year. To commemorate this milestone, the organisers have curated an interesting lineup of art forms from India that includes paakh from Jammu, gaatha from Punjab, ninda stuti and jonana from Odisha, tukkha gaan from West Bengal, mystical ugabhogas from Karnataka and nanthuni pattu from Kerala, besides international artistes.
Talking about the upcoming edition, Nandini Mahesh who co-founded the event with her husband Mahesh Babu, says the show started as an idea to usher in the millennium. “Back then, there were few takers for a show of this kind, especially as there were no big names headlining the event,” says Nandini.
Hemanth Chauhan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
According to Nandini, Ruhaniyat was conceptualised as a two-way process. “First, we wanted to bring alive these works that were written centuries ago, initially transmitted orally from one generation to the next. You find them thriving in the remotest corners and unexpected places of our country.”
“We believe these living traditions need to be nurtured and through these performances, they get the recognition they deserve. Second, such programs fetch new audiences which is an encouragement for the artistes. Many art forms are almost extinct and some have already been lost.”
Ruhaniyat began in Mumbai, before expanding to include Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Pune. Every year, guest performers from at least two countries are invited and as a result, the festival has seen the participation of musicians from 28 countries over the years.
This year, performing artistes include Eva Serrano who will present Spanish mystical compositions, Dawda Jobarteh of Gambia on African kora strings, and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a collaboration featuring Indian, Spanish and African artistes, among others.
“From India, we have Uttam Das Baul, a travelling musician gifted with an amazing voice, and Hemant Chauhan from Gujarat. A lot of people associate the State with dandiya and garba, even though it has a strong tradition of mystics, Sufis and sants dating back to the 14th century.”
Known as ‘Bhajan Samrat’, Hemant Chauhan also specialises in ‘dasi jivan na bhajan’ or hymns written in service to the Divine, while Mir Mukhtiyar Ali will be presenting works by Kabir.
Nandini says this line up is the result of a lot of research, “to introduce art forms to audiences who may not be aware of what they are missing. At the same time, we try to avoid repetitive acts. We are constantly on the look out for talent — that is how we are able to tap into them and curate our shows.”
Banyan Tree’s Ruhaniyat will take place at Jayamahal Palace Hotel on January 24, at 6.15pm. Tickets starting at ₹1180 available on BookMyShow.
Published – January 23, 2026 11:08 am IST
