Maha Sankalpa: The Supreme Intent

To state that the Kailasaa Summit at Kevala Foundation was a grand success is an understatement. To all our ‘Kevala Global Soul Family’, it was a victory of human spirit to rise above the COVID Fear Factory that has been churning unceasingly and dumbing the populace to hide behind masks and neglect the power of high immunity and being in nature. When we arrived at the idea of hosting the event, many doubters kept popping those niggling questions. How can we curate a festival in these challenging times? Who would attend such an event? Which artist would be ready to travel, stay and perform in a live concert setting?

All such doubts were put to rest with the trust in the divine conspiracy and intervention to make the magic happen. I firmly believe in the power of healing frequency, calibration of our mind-body-spirit to align us to attain a disease-free situation. Celebration of pure music, kriya yoga in a setting that is brimming with love, compassion, laughter, and sanctified healing space is truly a revelation for us to rise above the pre-conditioned thinking process. We obviously have it in us to elevate our senses and elements to access the essence of blissful living in our earthly sojourn.

Celebration heightens when there is synchronicity of hearts and coming together of beings engaged in creative expression of pure art, music, dance, love, laughter, compassion. The space at Kevala is designed and sanctified for such magical moments to heighten and sustain long enough. The subtle flow of cosmic transmissions ensures the frequency of sound, light, atomic vibrancies to enhance to its peak expression. The atmosphere is charged with a unique zing and verve that is hard to describe. One has to immerse and soak in it to realize what is possible. Life on earth was meant to be a celebration of the cosmic design. The aware beings realize that the heaviness of our stressed life and emotional dramas can be dissolved through realization of the cosmic joke passing through us.

While we imagine, its our effort that makes events happen. We have to remind ourselves that nothing happens without Divine Will. It overrides all our individuated will. Maha Sankalpa is the Supreme Divine Will, Timing, and Guidance to direct events on all dimensions of existence. It is conceived and directed through chosen beings who serve as conduit, co-creators and messengers of these events.  

Day One: 21 Nov, 2020
Rudram and Nurturing Cosmic Forest: Sachidananda ji

We welcomed our friend Shri Sachidananda ji and his team of ‘Vedic Chanters’ to enrich our sanctified space with ‘Rudram’ hymns. The pure hymns permeated the space with divine vibrancies and generated a sense of timelessness. Once the chanting ceremony ended, Sachidananda switched his role as an expert Agriculturist and Forester. He presented us with ways to grow a Cosmic Forest based on traditional Indian ways to tune into ecological order and also access the star portals. We were in deepest gratitude to the inimitable Shri Nagendra Bhat whose advice we follow at Kevala Foundation based on his book and direct guidance on “Pracheena Vana Nirmana Paddhati” (ways to grow forests using traditional wisdom).  We talked about growing ‘Panchavati Vana’ and enhancing the Nakshatra Vana at Kevala Foundation, which has the most unique design with trees growing along the spiraling grid.

Santoor Recital by Deepak Ullal

Deepak Ullal has been performing at Kailasaa Music Festival since its inception. We have seen him grow musically in 5 years which is truly admirable. We truly enjoy watching his magical hands induce intricate melodies through Santoor, the 100-stringed instrument. He chose to enthrall us with Raag Rageshwari in this concert and played with exquisite timing and subtlety. For those uninitiated, the sound of ‘Santoor’ is truly a listener’s delight. It feels like we are sitting along a Himalayan mountain stream and soaking in the refreshing icy droplets and breeze. He was aptly accompanied by Nandamohan Nayak on the Tabla. The exciting range of Gamaka that Deepak rendered was a treat to our senses and enriched our hearts with bliss and purity. His style of playing is a combination of intricate feather touch melodies that are followed by a rapid-fire, left-right combination of melodic strokes that kindles our brain networks to move out of its rigid pattern and appreciate the musical passage and innovative interventions. To savour the magic of santoor, one must absorb oneself in deep silence and witness the dance of energies within. It is called the ‘Lasya’ of Shakti that awakens us to higher flow of Maha Prana. 

Kalatvam-The Indian Fusion Band

Kalatvam is a close-knit band of musically gifted friends who can feel the pulse of each other so effortlessly. They blend their music seamlessly without much preparation and it was blissful to hear the intricate melodies, keys and percussion coming alive. Amit Nayak enchanted us with his amazing riffs and raga-based melodies on Mandolin, while Goutam Nayak rendered soothing melodies on his Bamboo flute, and ‘Sushruth’ provided the apt interludes with the warmth of bass and subtle chord passages that fused into the classical composition and styles of their rendition. Ujwal, the youngest member of the band is regarded as one of the best young drummers in Bangalore. He showed his class in whatever opportunity he derived to showcase that rock flourish and flavour. Nandamohan Nayak stamped his presence with his Tabla accompaniment that unleashed the rhythmic flow. Kalatvam in flow is like unleashing a Wild Mustang along the expansive grasslands and watching it gallop graciously.

Semi-Classical Rendition-Meghna Bhat & Kalatvam

Meghna walked into Kevala and she could instantly absorb the flow of energies graciously. She notified to me that she felt thrilled that there was a distinct warmth in the sound stage that calibrated for an exciting live performance. This may sound surprising for the audience too, as our music hall is almost bare and has no acoustic treatment done. But the sound did feel full and balanced. A moment later, I took her out for a walk in the gardens and brief energy transmission at the Cosmic Grid. In a flash, she was ready to grasp and essence and purity of Kevala.
Meghna had a brief talk with her musician friends from Kalatvam Band, who thankfully agreed to accompany her without any practice of sorts. This truly conveys the calibre, readiness and trust these musicians and singer share. The opening note of Megha sent waves of currents in my heart. Her tonal purity and technical brilliance are stunning and mesmerises any avid listener. She graciously navigated through high pitched passages with ease that was admirable. She sang literature and musical compositions of stalwarts from Kannada folk music domain. She rendered songs of legends like Kuvempu, C Ashwat, Gopalakrishna Adigar, and from her Guru -Upasana Mohan. She also regaled us with a soulfully sang a Ghazal. Meghna took us on high which is hard to describe. Her Sangeeta Tapasya (musical austerity) was reflecting and those pitch perfect notes radiated from such a pure hearted soul.
Her last track ‘Yede Thumbi Hadidenu Andu Nanu’ (I sang with a brimming heart that day) aptly summarised her purity of intent and we listened to her with “Manavittu Kelidiri Andu Neevu (You listened to me mindfully that day). A phenomenal singer of Meghna’s stature deserves the purest audience who can soak in her every note in sonic bliss. Each one of us felt honoured that she graced the event and sang with all heart and she promised to perform again at Kevala, her newly discovered, pristine musical abode. Just a chance encounter of a video of Meghna’s singing that was shared on Facebook inspired me to invite her to Kailasaa Music Festival. Her beautiful musical journey at kevala will be truly memorable and blissful for all of us.

Raga based Bhajans -Shruti Bhode
Like Meghna, I had chanced upon Shruti’s Facebook Video Clip. One preview was good enough and we connected and she graciously accepted my invitation to sing at Kailasaa Festival. Shruti’s dainty frame and child-like innocence defy her powerful and yet sweet voice that instantly permeates the heart. The purity in her is an effect of being so intensely passionate, devoted, and dedicated musical journey and her phenomenal ability to take her listeners on a deep dive journey into her world of musical bliss. Shruti’s singing reflects her innocence, humility, and purity that is so rare amongst the current crop of professional artists. I watched her intently during her stay and was especially was moved by her purity, as she swayed appreciatively while listening to Meghna’s live performance. Many singers could inspire from listening. I felt a huge wave of compassion passing to shruti sitting in front of me. When Shruti took on the stage, she had Ramadas Bhat, her dear husband to accompany her on the Tabla. She hit those subtle notes with ease. What happened during that glorious hour is hard to describe. I will not go into technical details as such a live performance is about igniting a deep sense of devotion, emotion, and connection. It is quite rare that artists can elevate listeners to a state of Bhava Samadhi or Blissful trance by the sheer grasp of notes and immense emotion. She evoked the longing in her voice as she rendered the devotional ode of Meera, Vishnu Bhajan, and Shankaracharya. The Gods of Music must have descended in the enlivened space of kevala to witness the purity of music and devotion. The pristine sanctity that prevailed during and after the event was evident in our elevated feelings and a divine fragrance that delicately showered on us.  Tears of gratitude gently tricked down my face as I thanked the ascended beings for making such phenomenal live events happen.

Kathak Dance: Poorna Acharya
Katha means story. Kathak is an ancient art of conveying a story through a series of whirling and graciously intensive dance movement, narrative and emotions. We had the privilege and honour of welcoming an accomplished Danseuse ‘Poorna Acharya’ who has wowed audiences across the world. Poorna is a humble and passionate artist who loves every detail in her performance. None of us knew what to expect from her. The music she chose was incredibly alluring. We were all eyes as we followed every move of hers. Honestly, I did not have any expectation how Poorna would transport us into her world of grace and fluidity. Her languid eyes, gracious moves and electric feet tapping conveyed a rare depth and magnetism. One cannot take their eyes off her in a live performance. I felt she was in a ‘zone’ and she was the Dancing Goddess in flow and poise that demanded rivetted eyes and a rousing ovation at every pose she struck.
She reserved special attention to the portrayal of Rani Jhansi Laxmi Bai. She donned the role of a fierce Queen locked in a heart-wrenching battle with British Forces. Her depiction of a caring mother nursing her child, and later tying him on her back while engaged in sword fighting was intense. With wet eyes, we watched not just a dance performance, but a high calibre artist who could relive those legendary characters and bring them to life on a live stage act. These are treasured moments even for an audience as it touches our heart and ignites our deep-seated emotions. Poorna is a powerhouse of talent, explosive energy, and her dainty frame is wired to a ‘Kamala Matrika’ that is powering her to heighten every move and expression. We are deeply honoured that such phenomenal artists allowed themselves to surrender to the magnificence of energies at Kevala and hit the pinnacle of their expression. These moments heighten our gratitude to such grandeur of possibilities that overrides every limitation and gives wings to our human spirit.




Handpan Magic- Muki Sablania: 22 Nov 2020

Muki is a distinctive Hand pan artist who taps into pure melodies that are delightful. It is a treat to watch him live. His deft fingers caress and tap delicately and the sound that emerges feels ethereal. He is not a trained classical musician, however the music flows naturally through him. Muki has grown immensely since we saw him perform 4 years ago at this space. He is now a regular at Kailasaa Music Festival and It’s always a pleasure and honour to welcome him as he returns each season with something new and profound. Interestingly, he crafts his own musical instruments and introduces new sounds to add to his magic. During this live edition, he welcomed ‘Shruti Bhode’ on Stage and the atmosphere became electric with the combination of a heavenly voice and ethereal handpan. We have always celebrated the creative jamming of artists that tickles our imagination. We often wonder, what else is possible and our creative canvas is infinite like the vyomanga, the limitless blue sky.

While the world has coiled up in uncertainty and fear, we were truly privileged to host such a memorable Kailasaa Summit. I will share the high-resolution recordings on our Kevala Foundation channel on YouTube for you to celebrate these rare concerts. 

In deepest gratitude to beings who supported this event to happen:
* Surya Prakash: Inspired me to sustain the legacy of Kailasaa Music Festiva* Vinaya Ullal: Handling Guests, Logistics, Event Flow
* Sri CrazyMinds & Ajit: Drone Shots and Live Concert Videos
* Damodar, Surabhi Sounds: Recording and Stage Sound Monitoring
* Nagendra Baliga & Family: Sponsoring the sound rentals and floral decoration at the event
* Manasa- Introduced Poorna to kevala and cooked for us before the event
* Parthibhan- Logistics supplies for the event
* Bhuvana- Logistics supplies for the event, Menu and Kitchen Management
* Giri & Family: Flower Arrangement and Transportation during the event
* Mukesh Hegde & Family: The essential mechanical engineer who supported us during the event
* Narayan Kudva: For all the humour and fun during the event
* Sujay Kashi- For supporting and transporting Shruti and Ramadas
* Sathish Kakal- Sponsoring chefs for the festival
* Manjamma, Manappa, Shakuntala, Chandramma, Soumya, Venkatesh- For tirelessly cleaning, weeding and supporting us to keep kevala space in its shining glory for the festival
* Latha Prakash- For that amazing Lalitha Tripura Sundari painting that adorned the festival space
* Kalatvam Band: For being so generous in their support for Meghna performance
* Deepak Ullal- Enabling the Sonus Faber Amplifier to reach Kevala Space
* Primesh- For capturing pictures of the festival