Music & Dance Tours

The beginnings of Indian music are lost in the fanciful legends of Gods and Goddesses. Saraswati, the Goddess of art and learning, is usually pictured as seated on a white lotus with a vina, flute, in one hand, playing it with another. As per Hindu mythology, the first ever sound to have been heard in the universe is the Om mantra, and since it is a manifestation of the divine power (Brahma), it is the purest and melodious sound to be heard.

Historically, Indian music can be described as having been inaugurated with the chanting of Vedic hymns. The hymns of the Rigveda, the oldest Veda, were addressed to the elements of nature personified as deities, and were prayers for protection from calamities and for attainment of prosperity. The subsequent Vedas refer to several kinds of musicians and musical instruments.

It took a long time for music to come to the form found in present-day India. It has developed through very complex interactions between different races and cultures over several thousand years.

Music and Dance Tours With Us

The rich and varied music and dance tradition in India is born out of complex interactions between different races and cultures over several thousand years. While North India’s classical dance, Kathak, is renowned for its elaborate footwork, south India’s Kathakali is admired for its minute movements of eyebrows and eyeballs. While Hindustani classical music is noted for its melody, the Carnatic music is extremely soulful. There are umpteen forms of regional folk music and dance, each of them creations of different socio-economic setups and traditions.

We design music and dance tours as per your specific Interests. You may choose to follow a particular form of music or dance or survey the best that India has to offer. We promise to take you behind the scenes at traditional music and dance centres around the country, help you get familiar with the fundamentals and techniques of various art forms, and connect you with real people, which will leave an indelible impression and create lifelong memories.

Sample Itinerary: Rhythm of Music – North India

•  Visit a Sufi Mausoleum in Delhi and listen to devotional qawalis
•  Take a train to Lucknow for a lecture-cum-dance performance of Kathak Dance form which enthralled the Lucknow Nawabs till very recently
•  Drive to the ancient holy town of Varanasi where you will enjoy Sitar recital, Thumari vocal classical music performance as well as a Shehnai recital for which Varanasi is an important centre
•  Fly to the temple town of Khajuraho where a magical dance performance will be organised against the backdrop of a temple. The famous Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every year in February
•  Take a train ride to Gwalior to enjoy classical singing of Khayal style. This performance will also include a lecture session and a chance to interact with the musicians
•  Drive to to Jaipur, an important centre for Hindustani classical music, and enjoy the soul-stirring Dhrupad vocal music performance

Sample Itinerary: Rhythm of Music – South India

•  Begin the tour in Chennai and explore Kalakshetra, literally meaning a holy place of arts. Chennai Music and Dance Festival is held during mid December to mid January wherein events are organised at a number of venues
•  Fly to Madurai where a lecture will be organised on the ancient Indian Devadasi tradition in which girls were ‘married’ and dedicated to a deity or to a temple. Music and dance formed an important part of a Devadasi’s life.
•  Drive to Paradisa Plantation Retreat in Thekkady region for some peace and relaxation
•  Drive to Alleppey and spend a night in a Houseboat and cruise along the backwaters of Kerala to explore the small, quaint villages, some of which are completely isolated
•  Drive to Cochin and see Kathakali, Kerala’s very own classical dance-drama form which combines facets of ballet, opera, masque and the pantomime
•  Drive to North Kerala where you will witness Theyyam dance, a Hindu ritual of worship