Edison, NJ – The Yaman Arts Foundation, New Jersey, hosted a deeply moving musical evening titled “Devi” on November 9th at the ITV Gold Auditorium — a heartfelt celebration of motherhood expressed through music, devotion, and artistic excellence.
The evening commenced with serene Vedic chanting and devotional renditions by Smt. Lalita Mathur, Jayashree Nagaraja, Vijaya Katti, Madhuri Dewanji, Miral Vaghela, Suma Nayar, Vandana Govindan, Payal Banerjee, Prakash Warrier, Mahendran Devendran, and Harsh Shah — all senior students of the Pandit Jasraj Institute of Music, Research and Artistry. Their performance, directed by Padma Shri awardee Pandita Tripti Mukherjee, set a tranquil and spiritual tone for the event.
This was followed by a dynamic tabla ensemble presented by young students of the Yaman Arts Foundation — Shravani Labhe, Tushar Puranik, Aarush Bhat, Aryan Shankar, Sparsh Desai, Aryan Bhatt, Amogh Shetty, Manan Purohit, and Mihir Khanolkar. Under the direction of Pt. Aditya Narayan Banerjee, their rhythmic synchrony showcased remarkable discipline and youthful energy.
One of the evening’s most memorable moments came with a solo tabla performance by Dr. Dayal, a senior student of the Foundation, who impressed the audience with his passion and agility at the remarkable age of 90.
The program continued with a soulful violin recital by Pranav Puranik, whose melodious notes resonated deeply with the audience. The evening concluded on a vibrant note with a musical segment featuring devotional songs, Bollywood melodies, and ghazals performed by renowned playback singer Pandit Pranab Kumar Biswas. He was accompanied by Satyajit Bhattacharya on keyboard, Atish Mitra on guitar, and Taalsamrat Aditya Narayan Banerjee on rhythm.
Special appreciation was extended to Naeem Hashmi and Aryan Shankar for their impeccable sound arrangements, and to Subhas Chandra, Lavanya Vyas, the Gandhian Society, Nivraha Foundation, Parikh Media, and Debeet Bhattacharya for their dedicated event management support.
The Foundation expressed gratitude to all participants and supporters, acknowledging that the memorable evening’s success was the result of many hands and hearts working together in harmony.
