Posted on 21 August 2026:
Kolkata Music Festival 2026: A Classical Tribute to the City’s Health Saviours at Mahanayak Uttam Mancha
On the evening of August 14th, the historic Mahanayak Uttam Mancha in Kolkata came alive once again with the timeless strains of Hindustani classical music, as the Gokul Nag Memorial Foundation and Peshkar Academy of Art & Culture jointly presented the annual Kolkata Music Festival.
More than a concert, the evening unfolded as a heartfelt tribute to the city’s health saviours, honouring Dr. Shantanu Nandy, Dr. Sougata Deb, Dr. Mahua Nandy, and Dr. Parthasarathi Sarkar for their service, under the graceful curation of Pandit Subhen Chatterjee and Vidushi Mita Nag.
The evening opened with a spirited ensemble by the students and teachers of Peshkar Academy, setting a reverent tone for what followed.
Sitarist Amitava Chatterjee, trained under Padmashri Pandit Manilal Nag and Partho Chatterjee at the Sangeet Research Academy, offered a meditative rendition of Raga Marwa, accompanied by tabla artist Rupak Bhattacharya.
Vidushi Ruchira Panda’s vocal recital in Raga Desh, followed by her late Guruji’s composition in Raga Bharat, brought both devotion and depth, supported by Ijjwal Bharati on tabla and Rupashree Bhattacharya on harmonium.
Sarod maestro Abhisek Lahiri’s rendering of Raga Miyan Malhar, with young tabla virtuoso Aarchik Banerjee, added further brilliance, while Pandit Kumar Bose’s tabla solo brought the house to its feet.
The packed auditorium also paused to remember Sangeet Acharya Amiyaranjan Banerjee, doyen of the Bishnupur Gharana, who passed away on Guru Purnima this year.
Founded by Mita Nag in memory of her grandfather, Sangeet Acharya Gokul Chandra Nag, the Foundation has, since 2002, nurtured young talent while celebrating the enduring legacy of Hindustani classical music.
The Gokul Nag Memorial Foundation: Preserving a Sitar Legend’s Legacy
When Mita Nag lost her grandfather, Sangeet Acharya Gokul Chandra Nag, at just fourteen, his memory became the melody that guided her life’s work. Born in Bankura in 1907 and trained under Ramprasanna Bandopadhyay, Gokul Nag rose to become one of his era’s finest sitarists—court musician to the Maharaja of Chanchar, All India Radio artist, and a name once compared to Ustad Inayat Khan himself.
In 2002, Mita Nag inaugurated the Gokul Nag Memorial Foundation at Uttam Mancha to honour him, creating a Trust devoted to Hindustani music.
Today, it nurtures emerging talent, hosts maestros, holds seminars and preserves a rare private archive of recordings by Gokul Nag and Manilal Nag.
The Foundation blossoms as a sanctuary where talent thrives, maestros shine and rare echoes endure.
