Sacred Music Festival

Until this year, Marieke’s most cherished memory of all her travels over many decades in India was attending the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in 2013. This epic event held every 12 years at the confluence of the holy Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati Rivers sees tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims, devotees and sadhus gather in the world’s largest religious congregation that spans several weeks.
That experience was matched, if not exceeded this February, with the help of an esteemed New York colleague and astounding Indophile, when Marieke finally fulfilled a long time wish and attended the 11th edition of the Sacred Music Festival hosted by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust founded by Babji, Jodhpur’s former maharaja, H. H. Maharaja Gaj Singhji.
Held in one of Rajasthan’s, if not Asia’s most beautiful forts, this was truly the experience of a lifetime and utterly breathtaking.
The three days at Nagaur is private and restricted to two hundred privileged guests, housed in gorgeous, well-appointed royal tents, the same ones we use on our Royal Rajasthan Tour. The fifteen tents we are able to avail our guests are located in an enclosed walled garden leading into the palace courtyards, thus more secluded, quiet and private than the larger main compound. Spaces fill very quickly.

Imagine this –
An exquisite sprawling fort that has been under conservancy for the last 20 years – UNESCO awarded and funded by the Getty and Hamlin Foundations, the Courtauld Institute and Leon Levy Foundation who have brought to life its beautiful murals, paintings, pavilions, Mughal gardens and gurgling fountains – and yours to explore all its marvellous nooks, crannies and passageways at will.
 Evenings lit by many thousand diyas casting their magical glow.
Various stages, pavilions and garden settings as the backdrop for some of the world’s finest musicians, dancers and singers – always enthralling groups from Rajasthan; maybe the plaintive duduk from Armenia, soul-stirring Gregorian chants from France, an angelic Lithuanian voice accompanying herself on a kanklès harp, Gathas from Iran sung by a goddess like opera singer accompanied by a haunting double bass and ney, or an ethereal sarod from Jodhpur.

ENQUIRY / BROCHURE REEQUEST
CUSTOM TOUR ENQUIRY

HIGHLIGHTS

• the sumptuous environs of a restored fort
• the luxurious sanctuary of well equipped tents
• a soulful, transporting music program
• excellent and elegant catering for all tastes
• an eclectic, sophisticated international audience

AT A GLANCE

NEW !!!
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
LENGTH:  3 Days | 3 nights
ACTIVITY LEVEL:   Relaxed | congenial | exhilerating
TYPE: Individuals | Small Groups
STYLE: Music | culture | arts | architecture | heritage
START | FINISH: Nagaur | Nagaur

INCLUSIONS

All meals, beverages, cocktails + wine, performances, discussions and Nagaur sightseeing

HOTEL STANDARD:

Luxury royal tents with their own plumbed bathroom and verandah

TRANSPORT:

You need to make your own way to Nagaur though AoL will assist with ground transport

TRAVEL DATES

10 – 13 February 2020

2021 TBA

PRICING

COST: 3 Days: USD $2055 twin/double share
 | sole occupancy of a tent USD$4110
2 Days USD $1678 twin/double share
 | sole occupancy of a tent USD $ 3355

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

  • DAY 1

    NAGAUR

    Arrive in time for lunch.
    The afternoon is free to explore the fort.
    Dinner is served after the grand opening ceremony followed by music.

  • DAY 2

    NAGAUR

    The festival is in full swing.
    There are often interesting talks during the day or site and shrine visits to the village of Nagaur.

  • DAY 3

    NAGAUR

    The festival is in full swing.
    There are sometimes impromptu performances by the artists.
    Closing cocktail party followed by dinner and music.

  • DAY 4

    NAGAUR

    The festival concludes after breakfast.

    SUGGESTED TOUR EXTENSIONS;
    • A bespoke program of Rajasthan
    • 
Taj Mahal

TESTIMONIALS

” Having traveled and lived in India for over 25 years, nothing can beat the magic of the World Spirit Music Festival in Nagaur. It is a truly exhilarating experience  and an unbeatable assault on all the senses. The fort looks stunning and is lit up with thousands of magic lights and flowers, the most gifted musicians in Sufi music come from all over the world, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Africa and of course India. Days are spent lounging around on huge cushions absorbing the beauty of the venue, the music and eating the most delicious food. New friends are made and the last nighterupted in everyone dancing and partying under the stars. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It is a little piece of heaven and you take the experience of being there and treasure it for weeks afterwards. If there is one thing you should do, if you visit India, is go to this festival.” Emma Chapmana

The breathtaking beauty of the spectacular Ahhichatragarh Fort, Nagaur provided a perfect setting for the World Sacred Music Festival in February 2018.  The desert location with warm days and clear star filled skies at night was enchanting; so too, the call to prayer we heard at dawn and dusk each day.
The various concerts featured extraordinarily talented musicians and singers from all over the world – music expressing both sacred & ancient traditions.  We were entertained, charmed, seduced and enchanted by these performances.  A truly blissful experience.
The daily program of sublime concerts was interspersed with superb meals celebrating the gastronomic heritage of Indian cuisine, served in a grand out door pavilion.
Accommodation in the fabulous Royal Tents was such a unique and wonderful experience with wonderful service including ‘bed tea’ in the mornings.

Thankyou Marieke for your timely invitation to join you at Nagaur. This festival was indeed remarkable and the experience of a lifetime.

Christine & Marilyn Shady

BOOKINGS & ENQUIRIES

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