Mahindra Kabira Festival 2025 – A Celebration of Kabir on the Ghats of Varanasi

Mahindra Kabira Festival is a great way to press the pause button in your life and just go with the flow for a few days. It is an opportunity to look up from our various devices and soak in the real world around us. It is an event that will force you to look inward as well and think.

Every winter, the ancient city of Varanasi wakes up to the lyrical spirit of Kabir — the 15th-century mystic poet whose verses continue to resonate across centuries. The Mahindra Kabira Festival is an annual cultural gathering that brings Kabir’s inclusive philosophy to life through music, literature, heritage walks, art and conversations.

The Mahindra Kabira Festival is organized in Banaras (Varanasi) where Kabir was born and spent a large part of his life, and thus is the most appropriate venue for the event. This post is an overview of the festival. It will be followed by two more posts that will talk about the events of the two days in details.


For 2025, the festival is scheduled from 19th to 21st December, on the ghats of the Ganges in Varanasi — primarily at Guleria Kothi and Shivala Ghat.

The Mahindra Kabira Festival, 2022, began on 18th November and ended on the 20th. While there were several events that were by invite only, most were open to the general public. You could just walk in and grab a seat and enjoy the musical performances and the discourse.

The Philosophy & Purpose

Kabir is remembered for verses that defy rigid religious categories, urging people to look beyond caste and sectarian boundaries and to seek the divine in everyday experience. The festival draws deeply from this philosophy of syncretism, unity, and introspection.

In order to attend the invite only events, you would need to purchase their package. This gives you access not only to the music sessions and the discourses, but also to several heritage walks that are organized during the breaks. The package also includes the hotel stay and meals.

What makes Mahindra Kabira more than just another cultural festival is its multidimensional format — where music meets heritage, art meets literature, and the timeless ghats of Varanasi provide the stage. For anyone who has wandered through the lanes of Varanasi or sat by the Ganga at sunrise, the connection is instant.

On Day 1, all sessions were organized on the Guleria Ghat. On Day 2 and 3, morning and afternoon sessions were organized on the Guleria Ghat and the evening sessions on the Shivala Ghat. For delegates and those who had purchased packages, the transport was organized via boats.

What to Expect — Format & Highlights

The festival typically unfolds across mornings, afternoons, and evenings, with different flavours for each part of the day:

  • Morning Music: Soft classical and folk recitals as the sun rises over the Ganga — a truly meditative experience.

  • Heritage Walks: Curated walks through the alleys, temples, and ghats of Varanasi. If you’ve enjoyed reading our Varanasi photography walk series, imagine that coming alive with stories and live narration.

  • Literature & Dialogues: Scholars and thinkers discuss Kabir’s poetry and relevance today.

  • Live Art & Visuals: Installations and live painting inspired by Kabir’s dohas.

  • Boat Rides on the Ganga: Sunset cruises that merge music with the river’s timeless flow. You can check our boat ride experience in Varanasi for a glimpse.

  • Evening Concerts: High-energy performances by folk, Sufi and fusion artists.

  • Ganga Aarti Moments: Witnessing the city’s famous evening ritual as part of the festival immersion.

Delegate packages usually include access to these sessions, along with curated meals and stay options close to the ghats.

Day 2 began with with a classical guitar recital by Vidushi Dr Kamala Shankar and a Dhrupad recital by Ashish Kumar Jaiswal. The afternoon session saw the discourse titled "Suno Bhai Sadho" by Umesh Kabir, and a conversation between Dr. Roobina Karode and Anubhav Nath about the representation of Kabir in Visual Art. The afternoon session concluded with a scintillating Carnatic vocal performance by Sushma Soma titled Home.

Why Mahindra Kabira is Unique

  1. Rooted in Varanasi – The ghats, the Ganga, the alleys — everything about the festival is anchored in the spirit of the city. (Here’s our take on what makes Varanasi’s ghats so special).

  2. Multi-sensory – It’s not just about listening to Kabir; you see, walk, feel, and even taste the culture.

  3. Artistic Reinterpretations – Artists re-imagine Kabir’s verses in fresh, experimental forms.

  4. Spiritual & Cultural Balance – Quiet dawn recitals balance the energy of evening concerts.

  5. Intimate Scale – Unlike mega festivals, Mahindra Kabira maintains intimacy, letting you soak in moments without the chaos.

The evening was more about fusion music with several bands and singers presenting their versions of spiritual and Kabir songs. It began with a performance by the students of W. H. Smith Memorial School, followed by music by Surat-based band The Tapi Project. After this singer and musician Jasleen Aulakh took on the stage and the evening concluded with several songs by The Raghu Dixit Project.

Tips for Attendees

  • Book early: Both delegate passes and hotels sell out quickly.

  • Stay near the ghats: Staying close lets you walk to morning sessions. Check out our Varanasi stay recommendations.

  • Carry warm layers: December mornings and evenings by the river are cold.

  • Wear comfortable shoes: You’ll be walking through cobbled streets and ghats.

  • Engage fully: Attend talks, go on walks, take the boat rides — it’s the combination that makes the festival memorable.

  • Respect local culture: The ghats and the river are sacred, so be mindful of your behaviour.

  • Photography enthusiasts: Carry your camera, but also spend time without it. Sometimes, the best memories of Varanasi are etched in your heart. (See our Varanasi photo essays here).

We all need more music in our lives. We all need more discourse. And we all need at least some bit of thoughtfulness. When you attend a festival like the Mahindra Kabira Festival, and that too in a city like Banaras, you get all of this and much more.

What’s Coming in 2025

While the detailed schedule will be announced closer to the dates, you can expect:

  • Morning and evening concerts with leading folk and classical artists

  • Heritage walks through hidden parts of Varanasi

  • Engaging talk sessions around Kabir’s works

  • Cross-genre collaborations, experimental music, and fresh artistic interpretations

  • Delegate packages with curated experiences across the city

With lot of travel (personal & business) in last 5 months, we are lagging behind in sharing some of these experiences. We were in Benaras during Mahindra Kabira Festival, which happens in the month of November every year. During the same trip, we also took out time to walk around the beautiful city of Kashi and one of the most talked experiences of Varanasi is Ganga Aarti, which takes place on different ghats during morning as well as evening. Through this blogpost, we want to share these Ganga Aarti experiences on different ghats and will also share some recommendations.

Why You Should Go

If you love music, poetry, photography, or simply seek soulful travel experiences, the Mahindra Kabira Festival is one of the finest cultural events in India. It lets you feel Kabir’s poetry in the ambience of the Ganga, hear it in the voices of artists, and live it as you walk through Varanasi’s timeless streets.

For anyone passionate about travel, culture, and photography, this festival offers an unmatched opportunity to combine all three. And if you’re planning to explore more, here’s a collection of Varanasi travel stories and tips from Travellingcamera.

Related Blogposts -

With lot of travel (personal & business) in last 5 months, we are lagging behind in sharing some of these experiences. We were in Benaras during Mahindra Kabira Festival, which happens in the month of November every year. During the same trip, we also took out time to walk around the beautiful city of Kashi and one of the most talked experiences of Varanasi is Ganga Aarti, which takes place on different ghats during morning as well as evening. Through this blogpost, we want to share these Ganga Aarti experiences on different ghats and will also share some recommendations.Ganga Aarti in Varanasi - Is it really an exceptional experience or an over-hyped activity to do in Kashi of India?

















Comments

Post a Comment

Trending Post Today !

Image

How to reach Kasol/Malana and top things to do around this stunning hill-station of Himalayan State of India

If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera , you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer.  One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana . Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay , things to do and lot more.  Related post -  Kasol: A beautiful Himalayan hotspot
Image

Main places to see & Top things to do around Dalhousie : Stunning Hill Station in Himalayan State of India

  Dalhousie is one of the most popular Hill Stations in Himachal  and there is lot to explore around Dalhousie. This is small and very well maintained town in Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh . This Photo Journey shares some of the exciting places around Chamba and how to plan a good one day tour through Khajjiar, Chamba & Chamera etc. CHAMERA HYDROLIC PROJECT Chamera Hydroelectric Project is located in Banikhet, 7 kms from Dalhousie. The water body near the lake is very scenic and is a popular boating spot. Chamera Dam is around 40 kilometers from Chamba Town. It takes approximately 1.5 hrs to reach the place is road condition is good. Overall it’s a little dry terrain as compared to Dalhousie and Khajjiar. And temperature also goes up as we go towards Chamera Dam.  As you move out from Chamba town, you follow Ravi river for some time and then take right. After 45 minutes of drive, you get a glimpse of Chemera Dam.