Sant Vaani: The Songs of the Saints
Sat. Dec 6th, 2025
Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center
Sur Sangat Academy’s First Live Showcase — A Night of Devotional Compositions in NYC
Sur Sangat Academy proudly presented its inaugural live showcase on December 6, 2025, at the Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center in New York City. Students traveled from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas to perform before a full house, delivering soulful renditions of compositions by six revered Indian saint-poets: Mirabai, Tukaram Maharaj, Surdas, Narsimh Mehta, Tulasidas, and Kabir.
Highlights included a stirring finale: the timeless Narsimh Mehta bhajan “Vaishnava Jan To.” The evening artfully blended Hindustani classical music, devotional poetry, and narrative storytelling, bringing forward the saints’ enduring messages of unity, love, compassion, and inner awakening. The performance showcased Sur Sangat’s commitment to preserving Indian classical traditions through rigorous training in ragas, voice technique, and expressive performance.
This successful debut underscores Sur Sangat Academy’s role as a global Hindustani classical vocal and instrumental academy dedicated to teaching ragas, voice training, and performance while promoting India’s saint-poet heritage to diverse audiences.
Music is comfort; like a friend that never gets old
It is warmth, it is love; like a blanket shielding you from the cold
It is the soundtrack to happiness; it makes life worth living
It is selfless, it is nourishing; the eternal gift that just keeps giving
It is a mirror into my Self; an exposé of my soul
A connection to the Divine; a reminder I am whole
It is my missing puzzle piece; breaking barriers & crossing lines
With every note and every beat, it reminds me…WHO AM I
Whether you find music to be a spiritual solace, a form of emotional expression, a medium of single-minded devotion, a connection to culture, or the giver of peace— World Music Day gives us all an opportunity to reflect upon the importance of music in our lives.
Sur Sangat Academy celebrates this universal language by sharing: “Music is…”
With a special appearance by Guru Smt. Mrinalini Arkatkar 🙏🏽
World Music Day 2025
“Payoji Maine Ram Ratan”
"By meditating on the name of Rama, my mind gets absorbed in the Divine Consciousness of Rama The name of Rama is as great as the thousand names of the Lord"
Celebrate Ram Navami with Sur Sangat, as the students present "Payoji Maine Ram Ratan" in honor of Lord Ram's day of birth!
Students: Top Row (L to R): Nikhita (CA), Ameyaa (MI), Kartika (MA), Geeta (TX), Bhavta (South Africa), Samidh (NJ), Ananya (MI)
2nd Row (L to R): Haley (MI), Aarav (TX), Prachi (NC), Arya (NJ), VudayaRagini (TX), Saina (NJ), Niyam (TX)
3rd Row (L to R): Mantr (KY), Manushi (NJ), Vihana (MI), Jia (MI), Sohila (NJ), Prisha (NC), Kelly (NY)
Original bhajan written by Mirabai.
World Music Day 2024
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World Music Day 2024 🎶
Music is truly one of God’s greatest gifts to this world. From the sounds of the wind, to the calls of nature; from the beating of our hearts to the rhythm of our walk; from the songs of the village folk to the ragas of the scriptures–music is everywhere, in everything, a part of our every day, filling every moment. There is nowhere we can go to escape all the music has to offer. This is why Indian scriptures have given music the highest place among the 64 fine arts.
In honor of World Music Day, we asked the students of Sur Sangat to introspect and inquire what music means to them & how it makes them feel!
Featured students in order: Rohit, Isha, Dhyani, Derek, Divisha, Aarav, Sitara, Saina, Mathura, Prisha, Prachi, Vihana, VudayaRagini, Manan, Samidh, Geeta, Mantr
Shree Rama Navami 2024
Featuring 8 artists training at Sur Sangat who came together to celebrate the birth or Lord Shree Rama, or Ram Navami, & Shree Hanuman Jayanti from different corners of the world.
Presenting a beautiful bhajan written by Sant Tulasidas:
Shree Ramachandra Kripalu
Row One (Left to Right): Derek (Ontario, CA), Tanuja (Florida, USA), Ananya (Texas, USA), and Roma (New Jersey, USA)
Row Two (Left to Right): Nithya (Illinois, USA), Isha (New York, USA), Mathura (London, UK), and Manan (New Jersey, USA)
Interludes performed by Veeram & Arjun, respectively.
Lead instrumental by Prasham
Vasant Panchami 2023
We at Sur Sangat reimagined the beautiful lyrics written by Suryakant Tripathi Nirala and are excited to present to you this new composition in Raga Mishra Hansdhwani on this auspicious occasion of Vasant Panchmi!
Performers: Veeram (Texas, USA), Ameyaa (Michigan, USA), Geeta (Texas, USA), Jayansh (Michigan, USA), Ananya (Texas, USA), Vihana (Michigan, USA), Shweta (Michigan, USA), Tanuja (Florida, USA), Maya (Texas, USA), Anvi (Michigan, USA), Haley (Michigan, USA), Nandini (Michigan, USA), Arjun (Texas, USA), Myesha (New Jersey, USA), Saksham (Texas, USA), Atmik (Texas, USA), Dhyani (Michigan, USA), Prachi (North Carolina, USA), Prisha (North Carolina, USA), Kanisa (Virginia, USA), and Prasham (Michigan, USA — not pictured).
India’s Republic Day 2022
The students of Sur Sangat are proud to share a project they worked on for Republic Day of India 2022!
Songs: Vande Mataram, Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyaara Hai, Ae Watan Students: Rudri (Texas, USA), Hirva (Texas, USA), Manan (Texas, USA), Prasham (Michigan, USA) Anvi (Michigan, USA) Veeram (Texas, USA), Saksham (Texas, USA), Veer (Texas, USA), Prajani (Michigan, USA), Arjun (Texas, USA), Geeta (Texas, USA), Prachi, North Carolina, USA), Prisha (North Carolina, USA)