Diwali featuring K.Sridhar
November 7th 2026 Diwali 3.30pm
Sridhar’s music and the celebration of Diwali.
The celebration of Diwali comes from the great tale of Lord Rama and his quest to find his abducted wife, Sita. She has been abducted by Ravanna, a ten headed demon and taken to Lanka. The Ramayana story has a huge cast of characters who suffer forest exile, treachery, desire, courage and nobility. Lord Rama travels the length of India to find his wife supported by his brother and the King of the monkeys, Hanuman.
Diwali is the time of triumph of good over evil, of Lord Rama killing Ravanna and being able to return to stabilise his kingdom and rule in peace.
There are many ways to tell the story, through song, dance, all night theatre but for this classical sarod concert at Kingshill House on October 23rd , the Diwali celebration is told through a musical raga with the emotion of joy.
Playing sarod is K. Sridhar, an internationally known classical musician with over 70 years of playing and a Stroud resident. Accompanying him is tabla player, Sanjay Jhalla, who will infuse the joy of the raga with wonderful rhythms and will himself play a solo.
A night to remember – great music, lovely food and the joy of the triumph of good over evil.
K Sridhar detailed Biography
About Sridhar
From infancy K. Sridhar was initiated into the highly structured and precise music of the South Indian Carnatic tradition by his mother, a renowned vocalist of her time.
He often accompanied her when she sang for many of India’s great sages and saints. He descends from many generations of Tanjore temple musicians.
At the age of 5, Sridhar began his training on the sarod under the guidance of Z. M. Dagar, an internationally known lineage bearer of the traditionally classical and devotional Dhrupad style within North Indian Classical Music. Sridhar learned to stretch the limitations of plucked strings and allow one of the world’s most complex instruments, the sarod, full range of its expressive voice. His study of Hindustani music was long, rigorous and challenging. This form of mentorship has all but disappeared from India today.
The sarod is a complex plucked instrument of 25 strings. 4 strings are used for melody, 2 for rhythm, and 4 tuned to the dominant note of the raga. The remaining 15 are sympathetic vibrating strings tuned to the micro notes of the raga. The full resonance of a note is produced by pressing a string onto the fingerboard using a fingernail of the left hand while simultaneously plucking the string with the coconut shell plectrum held in the right hand. The range and sonority of the Sarod makes it one of the most beautiful of North Indian instruments; its complexity allowing for an extraordinary diversity of sound and mood.
When he was 12, Sridhar became the youngest member ever of Ravi Shankar’s orchestral group and started performing solo at an early age
Sridhar started touring out of India in 1982 and has given hundreds of concerts worldwide. Starting in 1987 he toured internationally numerous times under the auspices of W.O.M.A.D. often as part of a jugalbandhi (duet) with his brother violinist K. Shivakumar. Two of these jugalbandhi concerts are featured on a CD called Sringar which was released by Peter Gabriels RealWorld label.
Sridhar has made many recordings on European, Middle Eastern and American labels. He has forged exciting links with musicians of various disciplines: Arabic, African, jazz, flamenco, Persian and European classical.
He has conducted numerous seminars and voice workshops in the USA, France, Singapore and Mexico. Students from all kinds of musical traditions find benefit from his instruction on the art of improvisation as well as the art of creating and his knowledge of the yoga of sound, naada yoga.
Listen from the heart to this truly immersive music – an ocean of sound – a blissful experience not to be missed.
SANJAY JHALLA - TABLA
Sanjay Jhalla is a UK based tabla player who has played with many of the leading Indian classical musicians. He is a disciple of Pandit Anindo Chatterjee after initially learning from the late Pandit Manikrao Popatkar. He has been a popular accompanist due to his sensitive and aesthetic approach.
He plays regularly with Sridhar and is a wonderful listener to the slow, solo sections of the raga.
DANCEGURU
DanceGuru has been brewing in the minds of Reg and Judge for a long time. Both are established musicians, Reg is a punk fronting the band "London Calling" and Judge plays with West Country Legends "RSVP Bhangra".
They wondered if they could mix the raw energy of punk, with unstoppable Bhangra beats......and wrap it all up in beautifully constructed electronica, played with live instrumentation? They have and its called DANCEGURU!!
Sridhar Performance 3.30pm
Food is available from 5.30pm (Pre Booked Only)
Dance Guru 6.30pm
Please note timings are subject to change