Bolava Vitthal to enthrall Surat on July 9

SURAT: Known classical vocalists and playback singers are set to enthrall the residents in the diamond city at the festival ‘Bolava Vitthal’ dedicated to abhangs and allowing those who cannot visit Pandharpur in Maharashra to listen to the songs in praise of Lord Vitthal at the Sanjiv Jumar auditorium on the Pal-Hazira road on July 9.Bolava Vitthal, a festival started by Mumbai-based Pancham Nishad expanded to many cities in the last one decade, will mark its 11th edition, first time in the diamond city on July 9 on the occasion of Aashadhi Ekadashi, an auspicious day in Hindu calendar.Classical maestros including Raghunandan Panshikar, Devaki Pandit and Anand Bhate will enthrall the audience with the abhangs devoted to the deity, such as composed by Purandaradasa in Kannada, to evoke communal ecstasy.The festival overlaps with the annual 21-day pilgrimage, which begins in Alandi, Pune district, from the shrine of Jyaneshwar, the great 13th century poet whose work inspired the Varkari tradition, and culminates in Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadashi. The pilgrimage, or vari, attracts about a million people each year.