Taalchakra Festival 2026 Pune Day 2: Anindo Chatterjee, Sanjay Mukherjee Tonight at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Free Entry
Taalchakra 2026 continues on November 1 at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate, from 6 pm, with free entry. What happened on the opening fusion night.
Photo: http://muzyczny.pl / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 1st November 2026: The 14th Taalchakra Festival ends this evening with a solo by Farrukhabad gharana tabla player Pandit Sanjay Mukherjee and a tabla-Kathak dialogue led by Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate, from 6 pm. Entry is free.
The festival, conceptualised by tabla maestro Padma Shri Pandit Vijay Ghate, is devoted entirely to rhythm and percussion.
Tonight’s programme
According to the programme announced by the organisers:
- First session: solo tabla recital by Pandit Sanjay Mukherjee of the Farrukhabad gharana.
- Second session: a dialogue between tabla and Kathak, with Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, a disciple of Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh, Durga Arya of the Lucknow gharana, a disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj, and Pandit Mukundraj Deo on tabla.
- Closing: “Shiv Tandav”, a pakhawaj performance by young percussionist Krishna Salunke, trained in the tradition of Pandit Nanasaheb Panse.
How to attend
- Date and time: Sunday, 1 November 2026, from 6 pm
- Venue: Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate
- Entry: free, first come, first served
- Registration: the organisers have asked people to register in advance by calling 9370830002
Free classical concerts in Pune fill up fast, so reach by 5:30 pm. Swargate Metro station on the Purple Line is a short walk away, and parking near Swargate is tight on a Sunday evening during Diwali shopping.
How the festival opened
Saturday’s “Fusion 2026” evening, led by Pandit Ghate, mixed Indian classical music, jazz-fusion and Kathak. It opened with Vam Sutra, set to an 11-beat cycle, and moved through pieces in Raag Jog and Raag Yaman before American saxophonist George Brooks played his own compositions, including Frame Master, based on Raag Puriya Dhanashree.
Kathak dancer Sheetal Kolwalkar performed thaat, aamad and tatkaar in roopak taal. The line-up also included Gino Banks on drums, Sheldon D’Silva on bass, Ravi Chary on sitar, Sangeet Haldipur on keyboards, Shikhar Naad Quireshi on djembe, Nagesh Adgaonkar on vocals, Tanmay Deochake on harmonium and Sagar Patokar on padhant. A Ram bhajan in Raag Ahir Bhairav and a dance-music jugalbandi closed the night.
The festival has the support of the Punit Balan Group.
Pune’s winter music season
Taalchakra opens a busy season. The Pune Book Festival runs from 12 to 20 December, and the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav is at Fergusson College grounds from 13 to 17 January 2027. See our Sawai Gandharva guide and the weekly Pune events this weekend list.
Frequently asked questions
When is Taalchakra Festival 2026 in Pune?
On 31 October and 1 November 2026, from 6 pm, at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate.
Is entry to Taalchakra free?
Yes, on a first-come, first-served basis. Organisers ask you to register by calling 9370830002.
Who is performing on Day 2 of Taalchakra?
Pandit Sanjay Mukherjee, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee with Durga Arya and Pandit Mukundraj Deo, and pakhawaj player Krishna Salunke.
