Festival Experience
Kabir’s teachings are essentially about inclusiveness – and every year, the Mahindra Kabira Festival celebrates this philosophy and brings to music-lovers an unforgettable experience of listening to leading exponents of the Benares gharana and folk traditions, of Sufi music, Dadra, Thumri, Khayal gayaki styles, ghazals and pakhavaj and tabla players in an ambience redolent with history. Sessions on art and literature inspired by Kabir, specially curated walks with local residents playing gracious hosts for our guests in their explorations into the heart of this fascinating city, and delectable local cuisine are all integral parts of the Mahindra Kabira Festival experience.
Morning Music
Begin your day at Mahindra Kabira with an invigorating and a soul-cleansing Morning Music Programme, featuring Kabir veterans who will perform on Guleria Ghat in the mornings of both festival days.
Morning Music is a part of the Festival Experience and is open to all.
Evening Music
Mahindra Kabira days will end with their swashbuckling finale – get onto boats to travel to the destination of the Mahindra Kabira Evening Music Programme. Musicians will be staged on the river under the stars; let go, give in to the moment as you experience the magic of music on the banks of a timeless river, thronging with people, colour, sound and melody, redolent of a mighty past and a history of coming together of diverse cultures.
Evening Music is a part of the Festival Experience and is open to all.
Delegate Experience
Mahindra Kabira 2021 will open its arms to a small and select audience of vaccinated people. And on the banks of a timeless river, in the city that is sentinel to history, we will celebrate the wisdom of the 15th-century poet-saint – Kabir – with music, literature and discourse. This year, more than ever before, we will come together to remember that the universe is infinite and our existence has a larger goal. Never before have Kabir’s ideals of kindness, simplicity, compassion, equality and inclusiveness held more meaning than now and Mahindra Kabira 2021 will be an affirmation of all these. The festival, to be held between 26th-28th November 2021, will have a limited guest list & crew and follow all Covid protocols. The programme will include a plethora of classical and folk music, talks, live art demonstrations, the characteristic Kabira boat rides, a delectable local food journey and the quintessential Ganga Arati experience.
The Mahindra Kabira Delegate Experience
Varanasi, with its gentle, unhurried way of life and ancient wisdom, is the perfect place to find that elusive peace which we constantly seek in the frenzy of our routine lives. The gentle rhythm of the river provides the perfect balm for frayed nerves even as Kabir’s philosophy envelopes us in its essential inclusiveness.
For two days, the Festival becomes the focal point with transcendental music on the historic ghats. As you take in the sights, you will find ash-smeared sadhus singing in deep sonorous voices, devotees milling about to bathe in and worship the eternal river, people lost in complex yoga postures, and tea stalls selling steaming kullads of chai.
Whether you come alone or with friends, you can look forward to making connections with kindred souls from around the world. Soak in the music, walk the winding alleys, hunt the bazaars for wooden toys, exquisite weaves and crafts, and spoil your taste buds with a range of sharp, tangy and sweet ‘Banarasi’ treats on the Festival menu.
Accommodation
Festival Hotels
As a Festival Delegate you get to choose from a range of our select hotels for your stay. You are free to accommodate yourselves anywhere in Varanasi, but for a wholesome experience of the Festival and the city, you can choose from the following listed hotels.
While, we recoomend these partner hotels, you are free to choose your own hotels for acocmmodation during the festival.
As part of your chosen hotel package, you will additionally receive airport transfers and transport to and from your hotel and festival venues via car and boats. This is only applicable to delegates who have booked with the festival partner hotels, as mentioned above.
Accommodation Options
Kabira in Every Sense
MAHINDRA KABIRA 4TH EDITION
Kabir, one of India’s most celebrated mystic-poets who lived in the 15th century, spread a philosophy of simplicity through his poetry and showed ordinary people a syncretic and tranquil way of life. Varanasi, also known as Benares, one of India’s oldest and most venerated cities, situated on the banks of the holy Ganga, was home to Kabir.