The fourth edition of the Mahindra Percussion Festival brought together some of India’s most celebrated percussionists and vocalists for a two-day celebration of rhythm and tradition at the Prestige Centre for Performing Arts in Bengaluru on March 7 and 8, 2026.
Music enthusiasts from across the country gathered in large numbers for the festival, which explored the transcendental power of percussion under the theme The Pulse Within. The event showcased performances ranging from classical and devotional expressions to contemporary and folk-inspired interpretations of India’s rich percussion heritage.
The opening day featured a unique collaboration bridging generations of artists. Padma Vibhushan recipient and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, led Nada Pravaham—Circle of Sound, performing alongside Carnatic-style vocalist N. Hariharan, tabla player Ishaan Ghosh, and drummer Shravan Samsi. With over eight decades of musical experience, Sivaraman led the quartet through an intricate performance centred around the mridangam, earning a standing ovation from the audience.
The evening’s headlining performance was presented by National Award-winning vocalist Mahesh Kale with his programme YĀTRA, a musical exploration of India’s spiritual traditions through abhangas. The performance took listeners on a journey across regions including Rajasthan, Kashi and Maharashtra, reflecting on devotional music’s deeper spiritual meaning. Kale’s rendition of bhajans such as Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo resonated strongly with the audience. In an impromptu moment, Kale was joined on stage by Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman for a collaborative performance that drew enthusiastic applause and became one of the defining highlights of the first day.
The second day opened with a performance by Women Who Drum, a collective of women percussionists whose set coincided with International Women’s Day. Blending instruments such as conga drums, electric guitar and harp with traditional percussion including tabla, thavil and mridangam, the group presented a contemporary sound while drawing from both modern and time-honoured traditions. Their performance reflected themes of collaboration and sisterhood while demonstrating the versatility of percussion across musical forms.
The festival also introduced audiences to folk and tribal percussion traditions. One of the major highlights of the second day was The Parai Awakens by Unreserved Live featuring Praveen Sparsh. The performance revisited and reinterpreted the parai, one of India’s oldest percussion instruments, combining Sparsh’s mridangam and drum presentation with a powerful ensemble of parai players to create a contemporary expression rooted in ancient tradition.
The festival concluded with Drums of the East, an ensemble led by Bickram Ghosh that highlighted percussion traditions from eastern India. The performance featured indigenous instruments including the dhaak and Sreekhol alongside the dhol and electric sitar, creating a dynamic finale that celebrated the sonic heritage of the eastern corridor.
With a packed auditorium and enthusiastic audiences, the two-day festival brought together classical, devotional, folk and contemporary percussion traditions, culminating in a finale that echoed the festival’s theme The Pulse Within while celebrating India’s enduring rhythmic heritage.
