MUMBAI : The 32nd edition of the Mumbai Sanskriti Festival, presented by the Indian Heritage Society (IHS) commenced today with a captivating performance by renowned flautist Rakesh Chaurasia's ‘Confluence - Music for Peace and Harmony’. Starting with a classical performance, he seamlessly blended elements of Folk and Fusion into his musical tapestry. It was a sight to behold as the iconic Asiatic Society served as a stunning backdrop for the performance on this breezy December evening. People thronged to listen to the performance. Attendees filled every available seat, and even the Asiatic Steps became a popular spot, as usual, for people to sit and immerse themselves in the delightful performance. An ecstatic Indian Heritage Society team watched on in awe as the motive of IHS is to raise awareness about the historic heritage structures of Mumbai, working towards its conservation restoration and transmission to the future generations with utmost care.

Besides Rakesh Chaurasia and his accompanying artistes Ritik Chaurasia, Ojas Adhiya, Sridar Parthasarathy, Sanjoy Das & Shikhar Naad Qureshi, Preeti Vanage – Secretary of Indian Heritage Society, Jaswinder Singh Sodhi of HSBC, philanthropist Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka, Aditi Sharma of TCS, Rahul Patel – Honorary Treasurer of Indian Heritage Society were present at the do.

A festival that has been enthralling the Mumbai audiences since time immemorial, ‘Mumbai Sanskriti’ traces its roots way back to 1992. It emerged from a petition initiated by Anita Garware, aiming to preserve the historic Banganga Tank precinct. Initially known as the Banganga Festival, this cultural celebration, initiated by the Indian Heritage Society, has transformed into the renowned Mumbai Sanskriti Festival, gracefully blending architectural and cultural heritage.

The second and the final day of the festival will witness a performance by Vidushi Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar outside Asiatic Society from 7 pm onwards.