Thirty years of ‘Parampara’: How far does the light of tradition reach?

The three-decade journey of Raja and Radha Reddy’s prestigious festival represents a significant chapter in the continuing legacy of India’s classical performing arts. Its thirtieth edition is not only a celebration of that achievement but also an opportunity to reflect on how broadly we define the idea of the “next generation.”

In the world of Indian classical arts, 'parampara' is not merely an inheritance from the past; it is a living continuum. It flows from parents to their children, but it does not end there. It travels from guru to disciple, takes root beyond the boundaries of a single lineage or region, and sometimes finds renewed life in a young artist whose family had no previous tradition of music or dance.

Embodying this expansive vision in its very name, the 'Parampara Series – National Festival of Dance and Music' enters its thirtieth edition in 2026.

Over the years, its stage has brought together the diverse streams of Hindustani and Carnatic music, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Mohiniyattam, and Kuchipudi.

Artists such as Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Kishori Amonkar, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Dr L. Subramaniam, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, Padma Subrahmanyam, Kumudini Lakhia, Shubha Mudgal, and Aruna Sairam have all been part of this remarkable journey at different points in time.

The diversity of these names defines the true character of 'Parampara'—not the tradition of a single style, but the many traditions that together constitute India’s classical performing arts.

The 2012 edition, titled Bharata Bharati, was a fine illustration of this vision. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s santoor, Pandit Chhannulal Mishra’s vocal recital, Padma Subrahmanyam’s Bharatanatyam, T.M. Krishna’s Carnatic music, and Raja and Radha Reddy’s Kuchipudi together presented the rich and varied artistic landscape of India on a single stage.

The following year, artists as distinct as Ranjani–Gayatri, Malavika Sarukkai, Pandit Satish Vyas, and Astad Deboo appeared together, representing entirely different artistic worlds. It was precisely this richness and plurality that became the defining identity of 'Parampara' over the years.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought performance venues across the world to an abrupt standstill. During that unprecedented crisis, 'Parampara' turned to its own archives and embraced the digital medium. Historic performances by legendary artists from earlier editions were made available to audiences online.

This seemingly modest decision carried profound cultural significance. It demonstrated that the true wealth of a cultural institution lies not only in the festival it is preparing for tomorrow, but also in the memories and archives it has carefully preserved.

In 2021, the festival celebrated its 25th edition, and with the gradual return to normalcy after the pandemic, live performances once again became the heart of the event.

The subsequent editions continued this journey with distinguished artists: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Aruna Sairam, Rama Vaidyanathan, Aditi Mangaldas, and Jayateerth Mevundi in 2022; Shubha Mudgal, Bikram Ghosh, and Vaibhav Arekar in 2023; Mahesh Kale, Rakesh Chaurasia, and Neena Prasad in 2024; and Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, Rahul Acharya, Ganesh–Kumaresh, Patri Satish Kumar, and Satyajit Talwalkar in 2025.

Offering audiences the opportunity to hear emerging voices alongside legendary maestros has always been one of the defining characteristics of this festival.

The thirtieth year and an intriguing pattern

'Parampara' has now reached its thirtieth milestone. A closer look at the music programme for the edition to be held at Delhi’s Kamani Auditorium from 7 to 9 August 2026 reveals an interesting pattern.

On one evening, sitar maestro Shubhendra Rao and celebrated cellist Saskia Rao-de Haas will perform alongside Ishan Rao; on the next, Pandit Madhup Mudgal will share the stage with Savani Mudgal; and on the third, Pandit Sajan Mishra will perform with Swaransh Mishra. In other words, two generations from three distinguished musical families will be represented within the same festival.

This may well be viewed as a celebration of continuity within India’s musical families. Growing up surrounded by music at home, witnessing the lifelong discipline of one’s parents, and receiving one’s earliest training in that environment have long been an integral part of India’s classical music tradition.

Yet, viewed against the backdrop of Parampara’s thirty-year journey, this programming also gives rise to another, perfectly natural question:

When we speak of the “next generation,” how inclusive is our understanding of it?

The same question surfaced only weeks earlier

The question acquires added relevance because the Swara Samrat Festival, held in Delhi in July, also placed the younger generation at the centre of its programming.

Young musicians such as Niloy Ahsan, Mehtab Ali Niazi, Ishan Ghosh, Shadaj Godkhindi, Indrayudh Majumdar and Armaan Khan were featured in independent recital slots. Presenting young musicians as principal performers, rather than placing them behind established stars, was unquestionably a commendable initiative.

At the same time, the line-up also reflected the significant presence of the next generation of distinguished musical families. Armaan Khan is the son of the late Ustad Rashid Khan; Shadaj Godkhindi is the son of Pandit Praveen Godkhindi; and Indrayudh Majumdar is the son of the festival’s founder, Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar.

The two festivals should not be viewed as identical in their approach. At Swara Samrat, the young musicians appeared in independent performances; at Parampara, this year’s programming more explicitly brings senior artists together with the next generation of their own families.

Nevertheless, both festivals point towards an important cultural question: How far does our search for the next generation really extend?

Tradition is sustained by both family and guru

This question should not be interpreted as a comment on the talent of any young artist.

Being the son or daughter of a great musician does not diminish an artist’s own accomplishments. A child born into a musical family grows up immersed in the daily discipline of riyaz, melody, rhythm and the atmosphere of the concert stage—an invaluable education in itself. Many of India’s great musical gharanas have evolved and endured through such familial transmission.

Yet Indian classical music is sustained by another equally profound tradition—the guru–shishya parampara, where artistic inheritance transcends blood ties. A guru’s finest successor may indeed be a son or daughter, but it may equally be a disciple with no familial connection whatsoever.

For this reason, family lineage and the guru–disciple tradition are not opposing ideas; both are invaluable pillars of India’s classical music heritage. To regard them as the same, however, would be to diminish the richness and breadth of this remarkable tradition.

Let the light of the stage reach a little further

Across India’s cities and small towns, countless young vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers have devoted years to rigorous artistic discipline. Some are immersed in the ancient tradition of dhrupad, others in khayal; some dedicate themselves to the pakhawaj or the sarod; some perfect the intricate footwork of Kathak, while others devote themselves to the sculptural grace of Odissi.

Many of them do not come from artistic families. Their names are not associated with celebrated musical lineages. Their true identity lies elsewhere—in their guru and in the years of uncompromising riyaz that have shaped them.

The challenge before India’s premier cultural festivals, therefore, is not merely to preserve great traditions but also to discover and nurture those exceptional talents who remain outside the established circles of visibility.

Perhaps festivals such as Parampara can broaden this vision even further in the years ahead. One evening could feature a senior maestro performing with his or her son or daughter; another could celebrate a distinguished guru alongside an outstanding disciple; and yet another could introduce a young artist whose only introduction is the excellence of his or her art.

Only then can family, the guru–disciple tradition, and independent artistic endeavour converge naturally on the same stage.

Thirty years of nurturing not only artists, but audiences

To assess Parampara solely by its impressive roster of performers would be to underestimate its cultural contribution. Over the past three decades, the festival has done something equally significant—it has cultivated discerning audiences.

Someone who arrived to watch a Kuchipudi recital often discovered Odissi on the same stage. A listener who purchased a ticket for Hindustani vocal music was introduced to the beauty of Carnatic music. A visitor drawn by a flute recital may well have returned the following evening to experience Kathak.

The continuity of any classical tradition depends not only upon accomplished artists but also upon informed, sensitive listeners. Seen in this light, Raja and Radha Reddy and Natya Tarangini’s achievement in sustaining such a platform for Indian classical arts in Delhi over three uninterrupted decades is of considerable cultural significance.

Thirty years later…

Three decades do more than simply make a festival enduring—they also deepen the expectations we place upon it. Parampara has earned the stature that invites thoughtful questions. Such questions do not diminish its achievements; rather, they acknowledge the importance it has acquired.

When the lights come up for the thirtieth edition at Kamani Auditorium from 7 to 9 August, it will not be only the performers who take the stage. Present too will be three decades of memories—the legendary maestros who once graced the festival, the young artists who found inspiration there, and the audiences whose steadfast support has sustained it through the years.

Perhaps this thirtieth edition also offers an opportunity to rediscover the deepest meaning of the word 'parampara'.

It is beautiful when a legacy continues within a family.

It is equally beautiful when it lives on through a guru’s disciple.

And when an unknown young artist gives that legacy a new voice through dedication and discipline, tradition itself is enriched.

For, in the end, parampara is defined not merely by what we inherit, but by how far we carry the light of that inheritance.

The author is a retired state tax officer, GST Department.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.