There are stages that simply mean more. On September 26, 2026, I had the honor of performing at Saptak — the 31st Sangeet Sankalp Saptah — presented by Saptak, at Lions Hall in Mithakhali, Ahmedabad. For anyone immersed in Hindustani classical music, Saptak needs no introduction: it's one of India's most respected institutions for this art form, and sharing a stage under its name is not something I take lightly.
I chose to perform Raga Yamani — a raga with a story worth telling.
A Raga Composed, Not Inherited
Unlike most ragas, passed down through centuries of oral tradition, Yamani was composed — by Ustad Vilayat Khan, one of the greatest sitar virtuosos who ever lived, and my own lifelong source of inspiration. Rooted in the Kalyan thaat, it draws from the grace of Raga Yaman and the shimmer of Raga Yaman Kalyan, woven into something distinctly the Ustad's own.
To play Yamani on a stage like Saptak's, in front of listeners who know this tradition deeply, is to carry forward a piece of his vision — and to ask it to speak for itself.
Watch the Performance
Raga Yamani, live at Sankalp — A Saptak Festival, Ahmedabad, Sept 26, 2026. Subscribe at @sitar_bug on YouTube
Thank You, Saptak
My gratitude to Saptak and everyone behind Sankalp for the invitation, and to Ahmedabad's audience for an evening I won't forget.