MUMBAI: The World Sacred Spirit Festival (WSSF) is set to enthrall music aficionados with its eleventh edition at the Mehrangarh Fort here from 15-18 February.

The extravaganza will have artistes like Ariana Vafadari with Haroun Teboul on the ney, Madan Gopal Singh, Irfan Tufail, Haroun Teboul on the ney and tambur, Haig Sarikouyoumdjian Duduk Ensemble, Langas and Manganiyar Children with Nawab Khan, classical singer and teacher of Kirana gharana Arshad Ali Khan, tabla player Ojas Adhiya and jaltarang player Milind Tulankar.

"This year, we enter a new decade of organising the World Sacred Spirit Festival. The festival, which started as a celebration to mark the Unesco World Heritage Award for conservation at the Ahhichatragarh Fort of Nagaur, today has become one of the most coveted music festivals in the world.

"Over the years, we have noticed the change in demographics with an influx of music travellers from across the globe travelling to Jodhpur to attend this festival," Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur said in a statement.

"With our efforts to conserve and take forward the sacred traditions of India and the world, we are ecstatic with the response we have received from our festival attendees. It is with the pioneering effort of the festival team, that we are moving progressively forward towards cultural conservation and promoting global music travel in our country," he added.

To commemorate this year's edition of the fest, the Mehrangarh Museum Trust is organising a candlelight story tale of Pabuji ki Phad, which is a religious scroll painting of folk deities, used for a musical rendition of the only surviving ancient traditional folk art form.

The tale will be held with Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park in the backdrop and the legend of Pabuji would be retold to the audience via 52 panwaras (poetic compositions).

(Source: IANS)