Hyderabad, December 17, 2025: The 8th season of the Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan National Festival of Music and Dance was successfully held on December 13 and 14, 2025, at Ravindra Bharathi, Hyderabad. Sangitanjaly Foundation organised the prestigious two-day festival in association with the Department of Language & Culture, Government of Telangana.
Conceived and curated by Abhijeeth Bhattacharjee, in coordination with Pt. Prodyut Mukherjee, the national-level festival, brought together eminent practitioners of Indian classical music and dance from across the country. The festival is organised annually in memory of legendary classical vocalist Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who spent his final years in Hyderabad, and continues to pay tribute to his enduring legacy in Indian classical music.
Along with promoting classical arts, the festival also supported a social initiative, with proceeds directed towards Autism Ashram, reinforcing the integration of cultural preservation with social responsibility.
The opening day commenced with an Odissi dance recital by Jagriti Chakraborty, followed by instrumental performances that included a jugalbandhi by Lokesh Anand on Shehnai and Bipul Kumar Ray on Santoor. The first day concluded with a vocal performance by Vidushi Ivy Banerjee, who rendered popular thumris as a tribute to the legendary Begum Akhtar, which received an enthusiastic response from the audience.
The second day featured a sitar recital by Pt. Partho Bose, who presented Raag Gawati, followed by a sarod performance by Sanjay Chakraborty, showcasing a confluence of Raag Baageshri and Raageshri. The concluding performance was a vocal recital by Ritesh Mishra and Rajnish Mishra, who presented khayal compositions along with a devotional bhajan. Ratan Bhattacharjee, Pt, accompanied on harmonium and tabla. Durjay Bhowmik, and Samir Acharya.
The festival concluded with the presentation of the Sangitanjaly Excellence Award to National Award-winning actress Rituparna Sengupta, recognising her contribution to Indian cinema, art, and culture. The award was presented by Dr. Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana.
The event witnessed strong participation from art enthusiasts, cultural practitioners, and dignitaries, reaffirming Hyderabad’s position as a prominent centre for Indian classical music and dance.
