The spring this year was farewelled with a vibrant Thumri Festival on 22nd and 23rd March at the lawns of the Academy. The Festival was held in memory of Vidushi Girija Devi. This was the first-ever Thumri Festival held at the Academy with a spectacular participation of listeners. The soiree was inaugurated with a Shehnai performance by Janab Hassan Haider khan and his group. Hassan began his performance with a composition in Raga Bhimpalasi and concluded with a popular dhun composed by Vidushi Girija Devi. He was accompanied by Shri Sandip Banerjee on the Tabla.
The next performer was Ayesha Mukherjee. Ayesha began with a thumri in Raga Mishra Majh Khamaj which was followed by a hori-thumri composed by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. She concluded with a dadra in Raga Pahadi. Ayesha was accompanied by Shri Ishaan Ghosh on the Tabla and Shri Jyotirmoy Banerjee on the Harmonium.
Shri Brajeswar Mukherjee took on the stage after Ayesha. He began with a thumri in Raga Mishra Tilang, which was followed by a hori-thumri. Brajeswar concluded with the popular composition, “Yaad piya ki aye”. Shri Ishaan Ghosh accompanied him on the Tabla and Shri Jyotirmoy Banerjee on the Harmonium.
The first day of the programme reached its summit with Vidushi Subhra Guha’s performance in a hori set to the Kafi Raga. Next, she sang a bandishi thumri composed by Lalan Piya and a chaiti. The concluding items were two dadras set to Mishra Piloo and Majh Khamaj. Subhra Ji was accompanied by Shri Gopal Mishra on the Tabla and Smt. Rupashree Bhattacharya on the Harmonium.
Vidushi Malini Awasthi was the last performer of the day. She began with a thumri and moved to a thumri ang chaiti. Next, she sang a dadra, a hori, a tappa set to the Kafi Raga and two chaitis. Malini Ji concluded with a Bhairavi. She was accompanied by Pandit Kumar Bose on the Tabla, Pandit Dharamnath Mishra on the Harmonium and Janab Dilshad Khan on the Sarangi.
The second and final day of the Festival began with Moupali Chowdhury’s performance. Moupali, a Scholar under Vidushi Subhra Guha moved the audience with a hori in Raga Khamaj. Next, she sang a tappa in Raga Kafi and concluded with a dadra. Moupali was accompanied by Smt. Rupashree Bhattacharya on the Harmonium and Shri Ashoke Mukhopadhyay on the Tabla.
The next artist was Shri Shadaj Godkhindi. He began with a thumri in Raga Mishra Khamaj which was followed by a thumri in Raga Sohini. Shadaj concluded with two compositions in Raga Mishra Piloo and Raga Mishra Pahadi. He was accompanied by Shri Debjit Patitundi on the Tabla.
Smt. Rageshri Das was the next performer. She began with a Thumri popularised by Vidushi Siddheswari Debi and moved to a dadra. Next, she sang a chaiti-ang lokgeet and concluded with a composition in Mishra Piloo. Rageshri was accompanied by Shri Pinaki Chakraborty on the Tabla, Janab Allah Rakha Kalavant on the Sarangi and Shri Hiranmoy Mitra on the Harmonium.
The Thumri Festival, 2025 came to an end with a performance by Vidushi Sunanda Sharma. Sunanda Ji began with a bol-banao-ki thumri which was followed by a thumri from the Vedic era. Next, she sang a Farsi-Urdu tappa and a virah-ki-thumri, followed by two chaitis. Sunanda Ji concluded with a hori and a Bhairavi. She was accompanied by Pandit Ram Kumar Mishra on the Tabla, Pandit Dharamnath Mishra on the Harmonium and Janab Sarwar Hussain on the Sarangi.