PROJECTS

Bengali Kirtan marks a milestone in Indian music — a sublime confluence of melody, rhythm, language, philosophy, and performance aesthetics. Over centuries, this profound art form gradually lost its preservation and practice. Darbar-e Padabali is a visionary initiative to revive the lost grandeur of this high-note Kirtan tradition. Inspired by Jayadeva’s Geet Govinda, composed for King Lakshmana Sena’s court, the music draws from ancient Raga-Ragini structures and rhythmic patterns rooted in Gandharva traditions. From royal courts, it journeyed to monasteries and temples, and later flourished among the masses through Shri Chaitanyadev’s Gaudiya Vaishnavism, becoming an inseparable part of Bengal’s cultural identity. Despite its noble lineage, the Kirtan tradition remains under-documented and often misunderstood. Darbar-e Padabali seeks to dispel these misconceptions and restore its rightful place in Bengal’s musical heritage. Internationally acclaimed Pandit Shyam Sundar Goswami and his disciple Debolina Ghosh have devoted years of research and practice to this art form. Together, they present this rare guru-shishya offering — a soulful dialogue of devotion, scholarship, and artistry — before audiences across borders.

The language of love, like the language of music, is universal. Womanity: Through the Language of Love is a transcultural project that transcends barriers of language, nation, religion, and gender. Though titled Womanity, in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, all devotees—regardless of gender—embody femininity, while the Supreme God, Lord Krishna, represents the masculine principle, Purushottam. The supreme devotee, Radha, symbolizes the soul’s eternal longing for divine union.
The philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism reveals that the bond between God and the devotee mirrors the relationship between true lovers. In Bharata’s Natyashastra (2nd century BC–2nd century AD), the concept of Ashta-Nayika classifies the moods of the heroine (Nayika) and hero (Nayak), epitomized by Radha and Krishna in their divine lila. Similarly, Sufism describes The Seven Stages of Love—a spiritual journey of the soul toward divine union. Though emerging independently, both traditions express parallel paths of love, surrender, and transcendence.
These timeless literatures of love and devotion speak of peace, unity, and humanity. Womanity: Through the Language of Love weaves together these philosophies through Bengali Padabali Kirtan, Jayadeva’s Geet Govindam, Rabindranath Tagore’s Bhanusingher Padavali, and Sufi poetry by masters such as Hafiz, Rumi, Amir Khusrau, Kabir, and Ghalib. The project celebrates the harmony of diverse spiritual and musical traditions that have shaped our shared cultural consciousness.