Mahindra Group has unveiled the Cultural Events Calendar for the year 2023-24. From rock music, to performing and visual arts, to poetry and crafts, these incredibly enriching and impactful events are a true celebration of Indian culture and communities that aim to ignite a vibrant cultural exchange and create a magnetic pull for artists from across the world while prioritising millennial engagement.
The group seeks to add greater impetus in enabling a spectrum of diverse audiences on an artistic discovery across North and South India via its cultural outreach initiatives.
According to the company, Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) is the only national level recognition in the field of theatre; Mahindra Blues Festival – the biggest blues festival in Asia – has hosted worldwide legends like Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Johnny Lang, Popa Chubby, Jimmy Thackery and the likes. The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival launched in 2010 as a showcase of craft traditions, involving master craftsmen from the regions, has over the years transformed into a resplendent concoction of art, music, theatre, literature, dance, heritage, experiential exhibitions, and cuisine, in a grandeur intrinsic to Awadh. Mahindra Kabira Festival brings together the leading exponents of classical, folk and Sufi music and evocative poetry recitals, intending to be a beacon of love and hope in the Poet’s place of birth, while promoting the city’s cultural heritage.
In 2022-23, Mahindra Group resurrected the independence Rock fest which unfolded to be a roaring celebration of the genre, and also launched two new IPs – Mahindra Roots and Mahindra Percussion, all with an aim to offer a comprehensive symphonious experience comprising poetry, rock, classical, and folk music in multilingual forms. These powerful events together showcase artists and performances that strike a chord with everyone, particularly with millennials to strengthen their cross-cultural understanding and facilitate cultural preservation.
Jay Shah, Vice President – Cultural Outreach at Mahindra Group, said, “People make culture, just as culture makes people. India’s culture is a melting pot of diversity, steeped in rich history and heritage, and infused with numerous art forms, dialects and languages, creating a fertile ground for artistic exchange. Our Cultural Outreach Initiative is meant to bring communities together and promote the many aspects of the Indian cultural landscape that remain unexplored, particularly from the lens of the youth. After prospering for centuries many arts are now fighting for survival, many are struggling for mere acknowledgement. In the face of modernization and changing societal values, preserving these artistic traditions becomes imperative to safeguarding India’s cultural identity. The endeavour is to present these dwindling art forms in a modernized fashion to millennials, bring in relevance and reignite the affinity for them. We achieved this to a great extent through the Kabira, Sanatkada and Roots festivals last year. And so, we are thrilled to announce another year of power-packed cultural festivals and we hope it will drum up similar support and a loyal following for the years to come.”
Listed below are the upcoming programs that promise to take fans on a soulful, artistic journey with an element of discovery, making the fests the beating heart of Indian arts and culture.
- Mahindra Independence Rock Festival (4th & 5th November 2023)
- Mahindra Kabira Festival (15th – 17th December 2023)
- Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival (2nd – 6th February 2024)
- Mahindra Blues Festival (10th & 11th February 2024)
- Mahindra Roots Festival (24th & 25th February 2024)
- Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards Festival (14th-20th March 2024)
- Mahindra Percussion Festival (23rd March 2024)
