Delhi Diwali baithaks bring live music to festive gatherings

At BeeYoung Brewgarden in Panchshila Park, a pre-Diwali baithak moved from softer melodies to Bollywood songs, Sufi favourites and Punjabi folk. The audience sang along to tracks including *O Re Piya* and *Paar Chanaa De*.

BeeYoung Brewgarden founder Abhinav Jindal’s Roshni Raag Baithaks bring friends, smaller groups and guests of different ages together around a shared setlist.

A quieter kind of party

Depot48 in GK2 is also building its festive programme around Hindustani classical music, ghazals, Sufi, folk and indie sounds. Its announced line-up includes Dr Tanushree Kashyap Sharma, Mehfil-e-Yashraj, The Aahvaan Project, Azad and Abhidaan.

Tanusree Banerjee, a documentary filmmaker who travelled from Gurgaon for one such evening, said she was drawn by people across age groups enjoying the music together. Sneha Srinivasan, who attended with her husband, said they chose the Roshni baithak because celebration for them meant listening to and singing along with music.

The baithak comes home

Some private Diwali hosts are using a similar format. Diksha Singhi and her husband Nisheet, who have hosted a Diwali party for five years, held a musical baithak this year. Their evening began with mellow songs, shifted to nostalgic Bollywood numbers and ended as a dance night with *Kal Ho Naa Ho*.

Party curator Shubhra Yadav points to floor seating, bolsters, dhurries, low chowkis and brass urlis with marigolds and candles as elements of the setting. Chefs suggest easy-to-hold food that does not interrupt a performance, including chaat boards, cheese boards, churro bites with rabri, mini khasta kachoris and paneer tikka rolls. Main courses can be served in bowls, leaving guests free to keep listening.