Dhwani is back. For the fourth year in a row Bangalore Kidney Foundation is conducting this festival of Hindustani classical music, the proceeds of which will go towards helping needy dialysis patients. In the past, artists of such eminence as Shivkumar Sharma, Kishori Amonkar, Shubha Mudgal, Vishwamohan Bhat, Mishra Brothers and Gundecha Brothers have performed for Dhwani.

The format for Dhwani is unique. It is held over three sessions over a weekend to draw the moods of the various ragas in Hindustani music.

Each session has two artists, typically an instrumental and a vocal. The sessions are Saturday evening, Sunday morning and Sunday evening.

This year on Saturday, September 22, Aarati Ankalikar (Tikekar’s) will give a vocal recital (6 pm - 8 pm) will be followed by Pt D K Datar on the violin (8.15 pm - 10pm). Before that Pt D K Datar will be presented an award of Rs 50,000 and a bust of Pt Mallikarjun Mansoor for his contribution to classical music.

The Karnataka-based vocalist Parameshwar Hegde will perform on Sunday, September 23 (10 am - 11.45 am) which will be followed by a recital by renowned flautist Pt Ronu Majumdar (12noon - 2 pm). The evening session (6 pm - 8 pm) will feature Pt Rajshekar Mansoor (vocal).

The grand finale will see a burst of rhythm and taal by Pt Suresh Talwalkar and group (8.15 pm - 10 pm) on the tabla.

The event is being organised at the Shivarathreeswara Hall (JSS Auditorium) in Jayanagar 8th Block near JSS Circle.

Tickets priced at Rs 50 per session, are available at Calypso and Channel 9 in Jayanagar, Landmark in Koramangala, KC Das near MG Road and Ticket Bazaar in Malleswaram.

Funds raised from this event support the ‘One Free Dialysis a Day’ programme which has so far provided 3,500 free dialysis to needy patients.

In the recently constructed Rangadore Memorial Hospital — Sringeri Math/ BKF initiative, dialysis is conducted for Rs 450 for poor patients in a state-of-the-art facility which currently has 30 beds. The BKF hopes to make this a 100-bed dialysis centre.

 For details call: 98454-24053/ 26661782.