Jul 07 2026 to Jul 07 2026 7 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Andal of Tamil Nadu. Akka Mahadevi of Karnataka. Lal Ded of Kashmir. Soyarabai of Maharashtra. 

These women are remembered as one-dimensional figures of devotion, but behind their verses lie experiences of caste discrimination, child marriage, widowhood, social exclusion, and the constraints of gendered expectations. The realities that shaped their poetry, revealing not only devotion but also remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.

This concert by Chitra Srikrishna celebrates women poets from across India, spanning more than a millennium. Accompanied by Prema Vivek on the violin and Ranjani Venaktesh on the mridangam, Chitra presents compositions in multiple Indian languages, with visuals and storytelling to set the scene. 

Supported by:

Performers

Chitra Srikrishna
Vocals & Narration
Chitra Srikrishna is a Carnatic vocalist, educator, and writer with over three decades of global performance experience. Her thematic productions include Abhaya, Mukti, Pravaas, and Udaan, weaving song, story, and imagery into multilingual experiences that explore music as a living dialogue. She has taught interdisciplinary courses at universities in Ahmedabad, Boston, and Washington, and her writing has appeared in publications such as The Hindu, Mint Lounge, and Scroll. Her forthcoming book, Band Baaja Bhava, is published by Hachette India.

Prema Vivek
Violin
Prema Vivek is a Carnatic violinist trained under Vidwan H.V. Krishnamurthy and Vidushi Neela Ramgopal, with further guidance from Vidushi A. Kanyakumari. She performs as both a soloist and accompanist across sabhas in Karnataka and beyond, and has been part of a women’s violin-venu-veena ensemble for twelve years. Prema holds a degree in electronics engineering and worked as an IT professional for over two decades.

Ranjani Venkatesh
Mridangam
Ranjani Venkatesh is a mridangam artist from a lineage of musicians, a disciple of Vidwans Mariyanna, N.G. Ravi, and H.S. Sudhindra, and Vidushi Neela Ramgopal for vocal music. Top-graded by All India Radio, she has performed across India and internationally with artists including Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, T.M. Krishna, and Kanyakumari. She is founder trustee of the Subhadramma Venkatappa Sangeetha Vidyalaya Trust ® and visiting faculty at Jain University.