A Celebration of Kabir’s Timeless Poetry

By – Sangeeta Prasad and Sachin Gupta

The Kabir Society of America hosted its 4th Annual Kabir Festival on June 8, 2025, at Waltham, drawing an audience of over 150 Kabir enthusiasts. The evening was organized in collaboration with LearnQuest Academy of Music with the generous support of the Mass Cultural Council.

This annual event celebrates the teachings of Kabir Das, the 15th-century Bhakti saint whose Bani continue to be relevant today. His message of being kind and respectful to all living beings, focusing on self-awareness and self-improvement to find solutions foster a culture of positivity and action-orientedness.

The festival began with a heartfelt rendition of “Ram Niranjan Nyare Re” by 9-year-old Aditya More, a 3rd grader who volunteered his presentation and impressed all.

A vibrant roster of artists from the New England area then filled the hall with Kabir’s uplifting compositions. The Uttarakhandi’s of New England, represented by Uma Pant, Mukul Pant, Prakash Badola, and Pramod Pandey, presented in their incomparable style derived from their Himalayan Devbhoomi.  Hindustani classical guru Sh. M.M. Rama Rao, and his students - Amandeep Singh, Girish Satpute, Sonia Sharma, Kamal Chadha, Mohini Duke Singh, presented in Kabir’s compositions in diverse styles. They drew attention to ‘bhakti’, the impermanence of worldly possessions and the need to conquer ego.  Anjali Dhodapkar’s melodious presentation aptly illustrated the words of Kabir describing the analogy between the Tanpura and human body.  The talented Songbirds Music Group of Rahul & Swapna Roy, presented a Kabir composition developed by Swami Vivekananda and the ever-popular Moko kahan dhoondhe re bande (Oh devotee – why do you try so hard to find me when I reside in your heart). Sarbpreet Singh, founder of the Gurmat Sangeet Project, shared Kabir’s verses from the Guru Granth Sahib. His presentation emphasized the difference between sustenance and greed.

The grand finale came with Supriyo Dutta, a globally acclaimed award-winning vocalist from Kolkatta, India, who covered the entire gamut of Kabir Das’s bani starting with a selection of dohas – dhire dhire re mana dhire sab kuch hobe (which emphasizes the importance of timing, fortitude, alignment with natures timecycles and right actions).  He followed up with a mesmerizing performance of two Kabir Pada’s which captivated the entire hall. His singing carried Kabir’s wisdom to every soul present. 

Supporting these stellar performances were some of the finest accompanists: Sangeet Mishra (sarangi) and Aarchik Banerjee (tabla) from India and Vedant Lele, Rajesh Pai (tabla), Hirak Modi, and Prof. Marc Rossi (harmonium and keys), adding a rich musical tapestry of percussion and instrumentation to the evening.

Sangeeta Prasad, Secretary of the Kabir Society of America, shared vignettes of Kabir’s Bani and how they can help us find solutions in today’s environment and setting. 

To learn more and join the movement, you can visit kabirsociety.org or email kabirsocietyofamerica@gmail.com.

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