October 15th 2023.
Today marks the beginning of the glorious nine-day festival of Navratri, and to celebrate this occasion, we reached out to some of the singers who bring life to the celebrations with their music. The Free Press Journal got the chance to get a glimpse into what inspires and drives their stunning performances.
Shruti Pathak shared, “Garba is a dedication to Maa Durga or Maa Ambe. The groove, rhythm, beats, be it slow or fast-paced, they just compel the audience to get involved. The songs of dandiya are a dedication to Lord Krishna, and they have a special flavor. That’s what makes Navratri so unique. It’s the longest music festival ever. Music is a powerful tool. I’m sure all artists will agree that when they are on stage, everything else just fades away and they become one with the music. For me, nothing else matters in that moment. It’s always the happiest moment. Sometimes I don’t even get to sleep after a show because I’m still in that energy.”
Divya Kumar had a special connection with the festival and said, “Navratri has been one of my favorite festivals since I was a child. I love it for its rhythm, energy, and songs. No matter how tired or down I am for the day, I always get my energy back when I step on the stage. It takes a lot to sing continuously with the same pitch and energy for ten days and every day I think to myself that I won’t be able to do it, but once I’m on stage, I get the energy. I feel that Mata Ji always blesses those who perform during this festival.”
Aishwarya Majmudar added, “Navratri is an amalgamation of everything. It is devotion, celebration, joy, dressing up, dance, music, unity, and a reminder of how we best function when we all align our energies and blend them in one formation. The dance of this particular kind reminds us of that coordination and how we can put life’s jigsaw together if we all just do our bit correctly. In my society, we usually plan for Navratri. Everyone would come together in the common area, we’d decorate it and call people to sing. It was a mini wedding. We did everything on our own, without the help of event organisers. It was all about togetherness.”
Nilesh Thakkar, who has been performing for Navratri for the past 32 years in Mumbai, shared his experience, “It is every artist’s dream to perform on a big stage in front of a large crowd, which is fulfilled during this time. The crowd in front of us is full of energy and seeing that gives us energy too, which allows us to perform through our heart. It’s the blessing of Mata Ji that you can perform for over three hours without feeling tired.”
Ameya Dabli talked about the beauty of the festival, “Navratri is a fantastic confluence of positivity and energy. The goddess is also known as Maa Shakti in our culture. All the positive things in life, the resolutions that one wants to make, this is a period to dive deep into oneself, like you find pearls in oysters after going deep within the ocean. When I step on the stage, I don’t do it to show my talent. To me, it’s like a divine service. I feel blessed and privileged that I get to do what I do.”
Paytm Insider has curated Navratri events as part of its 'Join the Jalsa' campaign, where these artists will be performing. Aishwarya Majmudar will be performing in Rangtaali, Divya Kumar, Shruti Pathak, and Ameya Dabli will be performing in The Great Indian Dandiya Festival, and Nilesh Thakkar will be performing in Navrang Navratri with Nilesh Thakkar.
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