AMEERAS ~ Celebrating the Eternal

Mandar Karanjkar is an Indian Classical vocalist, composer, author, and communications consultant. As a singer, his work explores the possibilities of dynamic expression using the voice, and as a composer, he nurtures self-expression residing at the intersection of language, voice, self-transformation, and social impact. He is the co-founder of the Baithak Foundation, committed to harnessing the transformative power of traditional music and dance for a better society.

Dakshayani Athalye is a singer, writer, and a lifelong student of Indian philosophy. She studied Law at the ILS Law College in Pune and then earned a Master’s in Education from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. Her work as the CEO of the Baithak Foundation focuses on building a resilient organisation that prioritises self-reflection, self-change, and social action. Dakshayani has been a kirtankar since the age of 10, and her performances use traditional stories to engage in critical questioning of contemporary conditions. She is a published author with two books to her credit and two in the making.

Madhavi Chakradeo has trained under the guidance of Pandit Padmakar Thatte. She has completed her M.A. in music from Lalit Kala Kendra, Pune University, with a gold medal. Madhavi has participated in numerous thematic concerts and musicals.

Siddharth Padiyar is an emerging Tabla artist based in Mumbai. Siddharth has been trained under Shri. Kishore Patre, Shri. Narayan Prabhu and Prashant Pimpale. He is presently learning Tabla under the guidance of Dr Aneesh Pradhan. Siddharth has been performing for the past 12 years and has experience in accompanying Hindustani vocal and instrumental music, theatre, dance, and collaborative music projects with international artists.

Adwait Gadgil is a Sitarist, recording artist, composer, and teacher from Pune, and a disciple of Ustad Shahid Parvez, the well-known Sitar maestro of Etawah Gharana. Adwait performs worldwide and is an ICCR-empanelled artist.

Dhaval Joshi is a talented flautist training under the tutelage of Pt. Keshav Ginde. Dhaval has completed his MA in music from Lalit Kala Kendra Pune University, and has also completed Sangeet Alankar.

Ruturaj Dhupkar started learning harmonium from the age of five. He studied under the guidance of his father, Shri. Raghunath Dhupkar and was later trained under Pandit Dr. Sudhanshu Kulkarni and Dr. Keshavchaitanya Kunte. He is currently pursuing MA in Harmonium at Lalit Kala Kendra, Pune University.

The Poona Music Society is a non-profit organisation promoting the love, appreciation, and study of music in the city of Pune since 1946.

Baithak Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates deep engagement with Indian Traditional Art Forms.