Two disciples of Vidushi Shila Mehta share the stage, followed by a recital from Vidushi Archana Kanhere Mumbai, 7 October 2026: Two Kathak dancers who learnt from the same guru will share a stage in Dadar this Saturday, followed by one of Mumbai’s senior Hindustani vocalists, as Iyer Foundation presents the 13th edition of Saadhna …
Two disciples of Vidushi Shila Mehta share the stage, followed by a recital from Vidushi Archana Kanhere
Mumbai, 7 October 2026: Two Kathak dancers who learnt from the same guru will share a stage in Dadar this Saturday, followed by one of Mumbai’s senior Hindustani vocalists, as Iyer Foundation presents the 13th edition of Saadhna – All Women Classical Music Festival. The evening begins at 7:30 P.M. on 10th October 2026 at the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Auditorium, Dadar, Mumbai. The festival is presented by Union Bank of India, with Central Bank of India as main sponsor and LIC as co-sponsor.
Since 2013, Saadhna has been reserved for women musicians. The name means regimen and discipline, and the festival is built around that idea: the years of unseen practice behind every performance.
“Every woman on this stage has given years of discipline to her art, and most of that work happens where no audience can see it,” said Pandit Balkrishna Iyer, founder of Iyer Foundation. “Saadhna is our way of putting that work in front of listeners, and of showing younger artists where it can lead. That is why we have kept the festival exclusively for women musicians for more than a decade.”
The programme opens with a Kathak yugal-nritya (duet) by Sumana Sachidananda and Sohini Pyne, both disciples of Vidushi Shila Mehta. Sumana, she was part of the “Civilization to Nation” ensemble production at the Nita Ambani Cultural Centre’s New York showcase. Sohini, who began as a disciple of Guru Madhumita Roy and went on to train further under Guru Shila Mehta and Guru Vaswati Mishra. They will be accompanied by Vivek Mishra on tabla, Acharya Shambhu Lahari on vocal and harmonium, and Alka Guzar on sitar.
The second half belongs to Vidushi Archana Kanhere, known for her khayal, thumri and Marathi Natyasangeet. she trained under Vidushi Manik Verma, and also under Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki and Pandit Shankar Abhyankar. She has trained number of disciples. She will be accompanied by Gurshant Singh on tabla and Siddesh Bicholkar on harmonium.
The evening will be anchored by Pooja Deshpande.
About Iyer Foundation
Established in 2003, Iyer Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting Indian classical music and dance. Holding an 80G certificate from the Income Tax Department, it supports emerging and senior musicians through concerts and lecture-demonstrations, and extends financial and medical aid to ailing artistes. Women musicians it has presented include Arati Ankalikar, Shruti Sadolikar, Dr. Jyoti Iyer, Padma Talwalkar, Devaki Pandit, Kalapini Komkali, Sangeeta Shankar, Shahana Banerjee, and the Flute Sisters Debopriya and Suchismita Chatterjee.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, 10th October 2026
Time: 7:30 PM onwards
Venue: Swatantryaveer Savarkar Auditorium, Dadar, Mumbai
Entry: Donation passes ₹200, available at the venue one hour before the programme. First come, first served; a few seats are reserved.
Contact:+91 98198 44314 | [email protected]
Follow: @iyerfoundation on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube
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