Hosted at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, the Yaksha Festival is an endeavour to preserve and promote the uniqueness, purity and diversity of India’s performing arts.

NATIONAL, 23 FEBRUARY, 2025 (GPN/ Swapnesh Shirke): National award-winning classical singer Rahul Deshpande will perform in Yaksha, the annual three-day festival of music, dance, and culture at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore. Scheduled from 23rd to 25th February 2025, the festival precedes the iconic Isha Mahashivratri celebrations and features world-renowned artists, drawing an audience from across the globe.

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Rahul Deshpande, recently in the news for receiving the Lata Mangeshkar Award for his contributions to music, will perform live on the second day of Yaksha.

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Speaking about the festival, Sadhguru says, “Yaksha – a festival that celebrates Stillness & Movement, Sound & Silence, all integral to spiritual striving. In this culture, we employed them consciously – and in Celebration – for our own growth & wellbeing.”

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This year’s festival will open with a performance by Sikkil Gurucharan, a leading Carnatic musician and youth ambassador for the art form. Nominated for Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the 51st Grammy Awards, his performance will set the stage for the cultural extravaganza.

The festival will conclude with a spectacular Bharatanatyam performance by renowned dancer Meenakshi Srinivasan on 25th February, setting a celebratory tone for the nightlong Mahashivratri festivities.

Over the years, Yaksha has featured legendary classical artists such as Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Saeeduddin Dagar, Parveen Sultana, Kaushiki Chakraborty, and Sandeep Narayan. Last year, Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar mesmerised audiences with his mastery of Hindustani classical vocals.

On 26th February, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah will be the chief guest at this year’s Mahashivratri celebrations at Isha. Conducted in the presence of Sadhguru, the night-long festival will be joined by lakhs of people from across the world, both in person and online. The celebrations will feature explosive meditations by Sadhguru and spectacular musical performances by renowned artists.

To watch all these performances live, one can join online free at: https://isha.sadhguru.org/mahashivratri/celebrations/yaksha