Bhajans and Kirtans Are the Backbone of the State’s Culture: Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar

Inauguration of Qawwali Festival

Kolhapur, February 2026 :Maharashtra has a glorious tradition of saints, and bhajans and kirtans that are part of this saintly tradition form the core backbone of the state’s culture. Preserving and nurturing this heritage is the foremost objective of the government, said Minister for Cultural Affairs and Information Technology, Adv. Ashish Shelar.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the Qawwali Festival, organised by the State Directorate of Cultural Affairs at Dr. V. T. Patil Smrutibhavan (Rajarampuri), which is being held from February 21 to 23. Present on the dais were Director of the Archaeology Department Tejas Garge, Mahesh Jadhav, Under Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Department Balasaheb Sawant, Programme Officer Nilesh Dhumal, and others.

Minister Shelar said that Qawwali is also, in its own way, a form of musical devotion and spiritual practice. He informed that more than 1,200 programmes have been organised across the state to promote art and culture. In addition, the Directorate of Cultural Affairs has decided to provide grants to 1,800 bhajan mandals every financial year, with each mandal receiving ₹25,000.

On this occasion, three women bhajan mandals—Vithu Mauli, Saptashringi, and Sai Dev—as well as three men’s bhajan mandals—Datta, Dakroba Pairai, and Datta Prasadik—were honoured with cheques of ₹25,000 each at the hands of Minister Shelar.

During the three-day Qawwali Festival, various artists from across the state will present Qawwali performances. The festival was inaugurated with the soulful Qawwali “Chadhta Suraj Dheere Dheere,” which reflects the essence of life. On the occasion, renowned Qawwali artists Haji Sultan Naja (Mumbai) and Qawwal Tauhid Ali (Pune) were felicitated by Minister Shelar.

A large number of music lovers and audience members attended the programme, adding to the vibrancy and success of the event.