Mahindra Kabira Festival 2025 Returns To Varanasi

The 9th milestone edition of the Mahindra Kabira Festival, instituted by the Mahindra Group and produced by Teamwork Arts, returns to the timeless ghats of Varanasi from 19th to 21st December 2025, offering an evocative celebration of the enduring legacy of the 15th-century mystic Kabir, set against the sacred Ganga. The festival brings together an extraordinary collective of musicians, thinkers, and cultural voices whose work reflects Kabir's legacy of truth, inclusivity, and fearless self-inquiry.

The festival opens on 19th December at the historic Guleria Kothi with a serene Ganga Aarti followed by welcome remarks by Jay Shah, Vice President, Head – Cultural Outreach, Mahindra Group and Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts. The evening features Umesh Kabir, educator, researcher and theologist at the Kabirchauramath Ashram, sharing reflections on Kabir's philosophy, and culminates with Kabiriyat — a captivating qawwali performance by Rehmat-e-Nusrat, a Kumaon-based ensemble inspired by the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

On 20th December, the festival's first day begins with Morning Music, open to the public, at Guleria Kothi. Attendees awaken to Indian classical ragas, with a vocal recital by Swati Tiwari followed by a sitar performance by the acclaimed Hidayat Husain Khan,son of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, embodying the rich legacy of one of India's most illustrious musical lineages. Afternoon sessions begin with Kabir the Julaha: Verses from the Loom, a storytelling and musical performance by Shivangini Yeashu Yuvraj, featuring Isha Priya Singh, reimagining Kabir as both mystic and craftsman, to be followed by an engaging and erudite discourse on Kabir, his verse and ideas. As dusk descends over the Ganga, eclectic evenings at Shivala Ghat come alive with Kabir Baani by folk musician Mahesha Ram, drawing from the Meghwal community's Bhakti traditions, and his soulful renditions of Kabir's wise and pithy couplets . The evening concludes with a powerful performance by acclaimed vocalist Rahul Deshpande, whose classical repertoire is known for its emotional depth and technical mastery.

On 21st December, the festival's final day begins again with Morning Music at Guleria Kothi, featuring Tejaswini Vernekar, who presents a Hindustani vocal recital with a focus on Khayal, followed by a soulful sarod performance by Debasmita Bhattacharya; the programme moves onto engaging conversations in the afternoon. The festival's final evening, once again at Shivala Ghat, opens with the genre-defying Aditya Prakash Ensemble, whose fusion of Carnatic music and jazz creates a meditative yet dynamic soundscape. The festival closes with an electrifying finale by Agam, India's pioneering Carnatic progressive rock band, whose innovative compositions resonate deeply with Kabir's spirit of rebellion, introspection, and unity. A celebration of Varanasi's living musical heritage, the festival is an impactful stage for the evolving traditions of the venerable Banaras gharana, featuring local artistes such as Swati Tiwari and Tejaswini Vernekar who carry forward its legacy with innovation and new thought.

The Mahindra Kabira Festival blends experiences with lifelong memories.  Along with the open-to-public musical performances, the festival offers exclusive discoveries to its delegates that include curated Heritage walks and Mandir visits and traverse the physical and metaphysical spaces alluded to Kabir's Varanasi. These immersive delegate experiences offer a rare glimpse into the multi-faceted heritage and the timeless rhythms of this historic city, its sights, alleyways, cuisine and craft.

Speaking about the festival, Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, said, “Each year, the Mahindra Kabira Festival brings together musicians and seekers who remind us that Kabir's words remain timeless. They heal, provoke, and inspire reflection in a world that constantly changes.”

Jay Shah, Vice President, Head - Cultural Outreach, Mahindra Group, added, “The festival celebrates the power of art and tradition to create bridges between the past and the present, the self and the infinite, embodying Kabir's eternal message of unity through diversity.”

Sustainability lies at the core of the ethos of the Mahindra Kabira Festival. As a Zero-Waste event, it has phased out single-use plastics and embraced reusable and compostable materials. In partnership with Skrap, it has implemented a robust waste management system that has successfully diverted over 90% of festival waste away from landfills. This year, our green commitment grows stronger — with water dispensers across the venue, reusable and compostable serveware, eco-friendly décor crafted from flowers and cloth, minimal reusable flex banners, and food donation drives to ensure no edible food goes to waste. Attendees are encouraged to bring their reusable bottles and segregate waste responsibly using the bins provided. Our sustainability partner, Skrap, is a social enterprise that helps organisations adopt zero-waste solutions by reusing, recycling, and composting. This ongoing commitment has earned the Mahindra Kabira Festival the prestigious Platinum Level Green Event Certification from Yale University, reaffirming our dedication to a conscious and eco-friendly celebration on the ghats of Varanasi.

The Mahindra Kabira Festival forms part of Mahindra Cultural Outreach, the Mahindra Group's ongoing endeavor to promote India's artistic diversity and creative expression. Through its cultural initiatives — from theatre and literature to music and design — Mahindra continues to create immersive experiences that connect people to the country's timeless traditions and contemporary creativity.