Maharashtra's Ashadi Ekadashi continues with music festival series, Bolava Vitthal

The arduous pilgrimage to Pandharpur, Maharashtra, for the annual Ashadi Ekadashi festival culminated on July 4 with devotees thronging the temple of Lord Vithoba. But the celebration of this Vaishnava holiday continues with Bolava Vitthal, a music festival series. Organised by Pancham Nishad Creatives, the festival features Maharashtra's noted classical vocalists singing the abhangwani, or devotional verses, in praise of Lord Vitthal. A key part of Maharashtra's cultural heritage, abhangwani are evocative verses written between the 12th and 19th centuries by saints like Sant Dnynaneshwar, Sant Tukaram, Sant Gora Kumbhar and Sant Janabai. Once sung by wandering minstrels, these verses are now an integral part of the state's mainstream classical singing tradition.

From a single-city event in 2005 with the celebrated Kishori Amonkar as star performer, Bolava Vitthal now has 13 events across Maharashtra and Gujarat as well as in Indore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The festival draws some of Maharashtra's most noted classical vocalists-Rahul Deshpande, Jayateerth Mevundi, Mahesh Kale, Anand Bhate and Sawani Shende. Bolava Vitthal will end in Hyderabad on July 23, with concerts in Pune, Goa, Bengaluru and Chennai between July 8 and 23.