Festival to celebrate Kabir's poetry

The Darbhanga and Assi ghats of Varanasi will reverberate with soulful renditions inspired by the philosophies of mystic poet and saint Kabir at a unique festival here.
The three-day Mahindra Kabira Festival, which begins today, will focus on the teachings of Kabir whose writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement in the 15th century.
"It is fitting that we at Mahindra have the privilege of celebrating the life and works of the weaver poet - his theologies and philosophies are woven like tapestry into the culture of the group. This festival is an expansion of our commitment towards celebrating and promoting arts," says Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group.

The highlight of the festival include melodious renditions Sufi, dadra and thumri from leading exponents of the Benares gharana.
The spiritual experience will be amplified with literature sessions in the afternoon with author Amish Tripathi, poet Vyomesh Shukla and Yatindra Mishra from 'The Kabir Project' participating.
"The festival is an amazing platform to revisit Kabir, especially in current times. The underlying theme, in keeping with our commitment to the arts, is to provide an exceptional experience replete with the spiritual and the intellectual to visitors," says Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts.
The heritage walks and food trails will provide an experience to savor famous Kashi delicacies such as kachoris, parathas, chaat, lassi and pan.

The festival will culminate on November 6 with performance featuring the likes of Rajan Sajan Mishra, Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, Kabir Cafe, Vidya Shah and Virmani.