Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Musical instruments are often considered bothersome by some, but at the Youth Festival, quite the opposite scene was witnessed. The competitions of Indian classical melody (swar-vadya) and rhythm (taal-vadya) instruments drew a massive crowd of young participants and spectators. The entire venue seemed spellbound by melody and rhythm.
At the Youth Festival, the Indian Classical Melody and Rhythm competitions were held at the Nadrang stage. In the first session, the classical melody competition took place, with 11 groups presenting performances. Students showcased their skills on instruments like flute, harmonium, shehnai, sarangi, violin, santoor, and rudra veena. Each presentation beautifully combined the elements of raga structure, alap, taan, and lyrical expression. Some artists highlighted the distinctive features of traditional gharana styles in their performances. The judging panel included Aniruddha Deshpande, Jitendra Rokade, and Pankaj More.
The second session featured the classical rhythm competition in the evening, with 11 groups participating. Students performed brilliantly on instruments such as tabla, dholki, damru, mridang, and cymbals. Each artist filled the hall with vibrant beats through rhythmic precision, peshkar, and complex mathematical patterns of rhythm. The varied sounds of the percussion instruments left the atmosphere electrified.
Auditorium packed
The auditorium was packed with spectators. The thunderous applause and enthusiastic response to the students’ performances made the atmosphere even more lively.