NAGPUR, July 22, 2013: Carrying on with its tradition of serving a musical delight, Swarvedh kept its date with the devotees of Vitthal with the event 'Gajar Vithalacha'.

Presenting famous abhangs were some of the best voices of the city including AniruddhaJoshi,Sheela Kulkarni, RasikaChatiJoshi and NiranjanBobde. 

"Ekadashi is about devotion to Lord Vitthal and we hold this event on the day of Ashadi Ekadashi," says Sheela Kulkarni, the organizer of Swarvedh. "Some of the best abhangs in Marathi are those composed in praise of lord Vitthal. Singing them on ekadashi creates an environment of divinity," adds Kulkarni. 

A packed auditorium enjoyed the chants of 'Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari' as 21 bhajans were sung by various singers. "Devotion to Vitthal is best expressed through music," says Aniruddha Joshi, who has given playback in the film Sant Tukaram. "The reason is that the most famous devotees of Vitthal were Tukaram, Namdev and Dnyaneshwar who all wrote marvellous devotional songs," he adds. 

The Pandharpur yatra too is undertaken by varkaris who sing while making their way to the temple on foot. "Almost all the great singers like Bhimsen Joshi have rendered these abhangs making them immortal. That's the reason the audience too enjoy them so much," feels Joshi.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 22, 2013.