Archive · 18 Jan 2026
Mumbai's Carnatic Music Scene Seeks Growth
Mumbai recently hosted a two-day Carnatic music festival called Mumbai Marghazi Mahotsavam.
Many famous musicians performed, and the audience enjoyed a variety of musical styles.
The festival also served South Indian food to make the experience more authentic.
While Mumbai has a lot of Hindustani classical music events, there are fewer Carnatic music events.
This is because Carnatic musicians are mostly based in Chennai, and the audience for Carnatic music in Mumbai is smaller.
The article suggests that more events, better infrastructure, and more corporate support could help grow the Carnatic music scene in Mumbai.
It also mentions that there should be a variety of artists and not just the same ones performing at every event.
The Mumbai Marghazi Mahotsavam featured renowned Carnatic musicians like A Kanyakumari and Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan.
The festival included various performances such as vocals, nadaswaram, flute, and guitar, along with a discourse by Dushyant Sridhar.
Organizers Banyan Tree aimed to replicate the Marghazi season in Chennai, serving South Indian delicacies to enhance the experience.
Mumbai has fewer Carnatic music events compared to Hindustani classical music, despite having a large South Indian population.
Challenges include higher costs for Carnatic ensembles, limited corporate sponsorship, and a smaller audience base for Carnatic music in Mumbai.
- Who
- Carnatic music lovers and musicians in Mumbai
- What
- A two-day Mumbai Marghazi Mahotsavam featuring various Carnatic music performances
- When
- Recently, with a focus on the beginning of the year
- Where
- St Andrew’s auditorium and other venues in Mumbai
- Why
- To provide a platform for Carnatic music in Mumbai and address the disparity in the number of events compared to Hindustani classical music
- Event
- Mumbai Marghazi Mahotsavam
- Venue
- St Andrew’s auditorium
- Artists
- A Kanyakumari, Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, Trichur Brothers, Ranjani-Gayatri, Nityashree Mahadevan, Bharat Sunder, Sruthi Sagar, Yelapanam P.S. Balamurugan, R. Prasanna, Dushyant Sridhar
- Organizer
- Banyan Tree
- Duration
- Two days
- Cuisine
- South Indian delicacies
- Previous Event
- Thyagaraja aradhana festival
- Venue for Previous Event
- Shanmukhananda
- Number of Musicians
- Over 75