Nagpur: Patriotism echoed across the Ishwar Deshmukh College Grounds on Sunday evening as Padma Shri awardee Shankar Mahadevan turned the penultimate night of the ‘Khasdar Sanskrutik Mahotsav – 2025’ into a powerful musical tribute to the nation. Titled ‘Rashtra Aradhana’, the concert blended devotion, nostalgia and national pride in equal measure.
With the amphitheatre filled to capacity, Mahadevan opened the evening in a calm, spiritual register — rendering ‘Sur Niragas’, ‘Ekdantaya Vakratundaya’ and a meditative ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. The quiet reverence soon evolved into a spirited celebration as he transitioned into re-composed Sangh geet from his new album Ajaramar Sangh Geet, created to mark the RSS centenary year.
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18 Oct 2025
Calling the day “very special,” Mahadevan said he hoped these timeless songs would “reach the next generation and kindle genuine love for the country.” He then swept into Atal Behari Vajpayee’s ‘Nirmanon Ke Pavan Yug Mein’, setting the tone for an evening anchored in patriotic emotion.
What followed was a seamless surge of nationalistic melodies — ‘Balsagar Bharat Hovo’, ‘Hum Karen Rashtra Aradhana’, ‘Ekta Swatantrata Samanta Rahe’ and the electrifying ‘Charaiveti Charaiveti’. His powerful, resonant delivery touched a collective chord, drawing applause after nearly every rendition.
Adding youthful warmth and diversity to the stage were Shivam Mahadevan, Prakriti Giri and Nagpur’s Srinidhi Ghatate. Their performances of ‘Bol Na Halke Halke’, ‘Ae Watan, Jinda’, ‘Mitwa’ and the evergreen ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ infused the night with a familiar cinematic charm.
The cultural evening opened with the ceremonial lamp-lighting by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar, MLA Pravin Datke, Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singal, Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari, RSS Mahanagar Sanghchalak Rajesh Loya, and The Hitavada’s Managing Director Rajendra Purohit were among the prominent attendees.
Elegantly anchored by Bal Kulkarni and Renuka Deshkar, the musical extravaganza stood out as one of the festival’s most uplifting showcases — a night where devotion met patriotism, and melody stirred emotions long after the final echo faded into the Nagpur sky.
