Shankar Mahadevan’s SaSha Villa was transformed into a divine space during the Bhajan Sandhya for Ganpati celebrations, where music and spirituality harmoniously intertwined. Esteemed artists like Hariharan and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar mingled with emerging vocalists. The evening unfolded with heartfelt performances and poetry, highlighted by Nivedita Padmanabhan’s stirring devotional song. This gathering beautifully showcased the powerful connection between faith and artistry in honoring Bappa.
This year’s Bhajan Sandhya, that is one of the special evenings of the 11-day festival, once again brought the music fraternity together for an evening that began with a divine aarti and gradually turned into a spirited, night-long celebration of music, friendship and faith. At Shankar Mahadevan ‘s SaSha Villa, Ganpati celebrations are as much about music and togetherness as they are about devotion. The evening saw singers, musicians, performers and friends come together to seek Bappa’s blessings and celebrate through music. Among those present were Hariharan, Shaan, Mahalakshmi Iyer, Richa Sharma, Mame Khan, Pratibha Singh Baghel, Ojas Adhiya, Sivamani, Rakesh Chaurasia, Purbayan Chatterjee, Priyanka Barwe, Antara Nandy, Ankita Nandy and many others. Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar attended the celebrations with wife Anjali and daughter Sara, while actor Shabana Azmi and lyricist Javed Akhtar were also part of the gathering. A NIGHT WHERE EVERYONE BECAME A PERFORMER What makes the SaSha Villa Bhajan Sandhya special is the spontaneity of the evening. Rather than being a conventional concert, it becomes a musical coming together, with artistes taking the stage, joining one another and creating music in the moment. Javed Akhtar added another dimension to the evening when he took the stage to recite poetry, bringing the world of words and music together in the intimate setting. One of the youngest singers to perform was Nivedita Padmanabhan who sang her song from Hanuman Ansh. Among the youngest singers to perform that night was Nivedita Padmanabhan, (she’d sung her first film song when she was just around six years old, in Judgementall Hai Kya) who brought a devotional touch to the evening with her song Raam Bhajan Ki Or from the superhit ‘Hanuman Ansh’. Her performance was another reminder of the way Shanakr Mahadevan brings together artistes across generations and has established names sharing the same stage with younger voices.
Shankar says, “Our Bhajan Sandhya is a beautiful eveing of Ganpati celebration. For Shankar and his family, the Bhajan Sandhya has become an annual tradition that brings together their extended musical family. It is a coming together of various artistes to perform here as seva for Bappa. “
Earlier editions of the celebration have similarly seen leading singers and musicians gather at SaSha Villa for a night of devotional music and spontaneous collaborations.
