Music for harmony: Songs of Kabir, the Sufis, and the Vachana saints.
हमन हैं इश्क़ मस्ताना हमन को होशियारी क्या
We are drunk on love — cleverness is not our concern
The intent
Our broader purpose is music for harmony: creating spaces where people feel a shared humanity beyond identities. Kabir and other poets and saints in this tradition sing of love, longing, equality, and fearlessness. By questioning existing social norms, practices and systems, they lead us to imagine a more beautiful future for the planet. That emotional language has the power to soften divisions in a room.
Kabir was a fifteenth-century weaver in Banaras who belonged to neither temple nor mosque, and was claimed by both. Six hundred years on, his verse is still sung by nomadic Muslim singers in the Thar, by Dalit folk singers in Malwa, by Kannada listeners who hear in him their own Vachanakaras. Very little in Indian culture travels that freely across caste, faith and language.
ढाई आखर प्रेम का, पढ़े सो पंडित होय
Wisdom lies not in words, but in love
Not doctrine, not identity, but love as the only experiential reality.
The Mirs of Pugal, near Bikaner, carry a tradition of Sufiyana Kalam. They sing saints like Ghulam Farid, Bulleh Shah and Sheikh Farid alongside Kabir, Mirabai and Khusro. Once celebrated during the era of princely states, the community now faces a livelihood crisis.
This effort supports the revival of a declining Mirasi community's cultural heritage, keeping it visible and viable in today's spaces. We especially want to bring this music into Bengaluru's listening spaces with care and respect, so the tradition is experienced as living, present, and dignified, not as a museum piece.
The music
We are bringing together the music of saints from across the subcontinent: the poetry of Banaras's Kabir, of Bulleh Shah and other Sufi saints, and the Vachanas of Kannada saints. All of it speaks of love and oneness; all of it carries humanism and an openness beyond rigid boundaries.
Lead artist · North
A Sufi singer from the deserts of Bikaner, from the nomadic Mirasi community, carrying forward a rich oral tradition of mystic singing.
Bikaner, Rajasthan
Listen: Mir Rajak Ali playlist
Lead artist · South
A celebrated voice in contemporary renditions of Bhakti, Sufi and folk poetry, blending Carnatic and Hindustani training with guitar and banjo.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Listen: Vedanth Bharadwaj playlistThis is, at its heart, a coming together of North and South, Hindu and Muslim, rural and urban.
Around them we will make space for other artists and local traditions: joint concerts, music workshops, and conversations, all under one banner.
We draw inspiration from centuries-old Indian traditions of yatras and lok utsavs, where communities have long gathered to sing, recite, and celebrate together; the Bengaluru Kabir Festival is our chapter in that living lineage.
The city
Across namma Bengaluru over two weekends in mid-October: auditoriums, cultural spaces, schools and universities. Two venues are already pre-booked.
The reach
A festival that offers people something to hold on to: the philosophy of love, humanism, and an openness beyond rigid boundaries, which feels more needed today than it has in a long while. In numbers:
The ask
We are raising ₹15,00,000 to make the first Bangalore Kabir Festival possible. Every line below is a direct cost. None of it is overhead.
| Item | Cost (₹) |
|---|---|
| Travel and stayArtist groups from Bikaner and Chennai | 3,00,000 |
| Artist feesBoth lead artists, their accompanying musicians, and local artists: 7 people | 7,00,000 |
| VenuesAcross at least 7 venues | 1,50,000 |
| ProductionStage setup, sound, and recording | 3,00,000 |
| MarketingPrint, digital, and on-ground | 50,000 |
| Total | 15,00,000 |
Partial support is welcome. A single line item, the artists' travel, one venue, or the recording, is enough to move this forward, and we are happy to structure it that way.
TEAM
Three Bangaloreans and friends who met each other through folk events and yatras across India. We are not affiliated with any organisation. This is an independent, ground-up effort, held together by a shared love for this music and what it stands for.
Builds for social impact
Works in technology for the social sector. Has spent years following Kabir and Nirgun singing across Malwa, Rajasthan and Bengaluru, and started this initiative because the music deserves a home in this city.
Techie by profession, explorer by heart
Has attended every yatra he could reach, watching closely what these gatherings do to the social circles around them - who shows up, who stays, and what changes afterwards.
Interior designer
Her work revolves around bringing the best of rural India into the spaces people live and gather in: craft, material, and the hands behind them.
Come with us
We would love to walk you through the line-up, the venues and the plan in person, and to have you in the room when the first note lands.
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