16042026-LSTL-01.qxd 4/15/2026 7:54 PM Page 1 c m y b TEMPLE VISIT Ahead of the grand finale of the 61st edition of Femina Miss India, contestants visited Shree Jagannath Temple to offer prayers. The pageant will take place in Bhubaneswar on April 18. jalandhar WHAT’S HOT eat T TEN ON TEN HOSE looking for a vibrant rooftop ambience, cool breeze and good food have a new option now — Ten 10 Rooftop Bar and Lounge on the terrace of Chunmun Mall. Its Kathi Chicken Roll, Mediterranean Mezze Bowl, Buratta Spinach, Sushi, Mutton Pizza, Curd and Crunch Fondue have been a big hit. shop BANARASI TREASURE S delhi HANTI Banaras opened its new store at Ambawatta One, Mehrauli, a space that redefines how Banarasi textiles are presented and experienced. Located in close proximity to the Qutub Minar, the store sits within a part of Delhi shaped by long-standing cultural memory. For a brand rooted in Banaras, at its core, the space is a curated presentation of the brand’s most defined pieces Banarasi metallic lehengas, real zari weaves and hand-embroidered sarees developed with high levels of detail and finish. love FRAGRANCES V mohali ESSENCE Luxe has launched in Mohali, unveiling one of the world’s largest perfume wall with over 3,000 fragrances at Mohali City Centre. Inaugurated by actor Amit Sadh, the store offers a unique fragrance discovery experience. Founded by Dr Varun Singla, it emphasises self-expression through scent, featuring long-lasting, chemical-free perfumes and personalised services. The brand is expanding with new outlets, cinema kiosks and vending machines. TRIBUNE Talking point Life Mona B HAJAN CLUBBING—the emerging fusion of devotional chanting and concert-sty le production—is gaining traction as a new cultural trend . What once belonged to temple courtyards, family satsangs and community jagrans is now being reimagined through stage lighting, curated sound design and large-scale live audiences that behave like festival crowds. The result is a new kind of night out: immersive, participatory and emotionally charged, where spirituality and spectacle coexist in the same space. This shift was symbolically visible at the Vantara celebration for Anant Ambani’s birthday. At first glance, it appeared to be another highprofile gathering defined by scale, celebrity presence and careful orchestration. Instead of DJs or commercial music acts, the night unfolded through bhajans—performed live, layered and collectively experienced. Guests joined in, clapped, sang and moved with the rhythm. The gathering blurred the line between performance and participation. FROM TEMPLE SOUND TO PACKED ARENAS For decades, bhajans were rooted in tradition. They were sung in temples, homes and local gatherings where participation was informal and emotionally direct. Today, that format is being reshaped. Across India, devotional music is increasingly presented with—professional concert lighting and staging, structured and rehearsed musical sets. The transformation has created a hybrid space—part concert, part collective chant. The intent remains devotional, but the experience now carries the energy and aesthetics of a live music festival. GLOBAL RISE OF KIRTAN EXPERIENCES One of the most influential figures in this evolving landscape is Radhika Das, a London-based kirtan artiste who has brought devotional singing into global concert circuits. When he performed in tricity in November last, around 4,000 people attended, reflecting how bhajan concerts have found strong resonance in the region. His work reframes kirtan for contemporary audiences who may have little exposure to traditional satsangs, presenting it instead as an immersive, emotionally structured live experience. In the region, curated kirtan events and devotional nights are increasingly becoming common. In Amritsar, devotional events frequently integrate bhajan, Sufi and folk traditions, creating hybrid musical evenings that appeal across age groups. Bhajan Clubbing has now emerged as a vibrant community in Ludhiana, proudly calling itself “the coolest way to connect with the divine!” Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway sat down with filmmaker Karan Johar for an intimate conversation ahead of the India release of The Devil Wears Prada 2 on May 1. LUDHIANA | THURSDAY | 16 APRIL 2026 Devotion meets the dance floor... T Bhajan concerts/ clubbing is being shaped by a diverse set of performers: n Krishna Das (born Jeffrey Kagel) - the chant master of American yoga - laid the early global foundation by bringing Indian chanting into Western concert halls, creating deeply emotional, participatory experiences that bridged spirituality and performance. n Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, dividing time between New Delhi and New York, represents a contemporary evolution, blending classical sitar with ambient and electronic soundscapes to produce immersive, almost meditative live environments. n Jahnavi Harrison aka Jahnavi Jivana Dasi, who grew up in International Society for Krishna Consciousness’ (ISKCON) Bhaktivedanta Manor in England blends soulful melodies with traditional bhajan, creating a deeply meditative and uplifting musical experience. n Nirvaan Birla leans into scale and production, creating high-energy devotional performances that align closely with the aesthetics of bhajan clubbing. n Backstage Siblings, Prachi and Raghav, are the creative minds behind the India Bhajan Jamming Tour, gaining popularity on Instagram for their intimate, stagefree bhajan jam sessions. DIGITAL VISIBILITY Digital culture has amplified visibility for bhajan jamming. Moments from kirtan and bhajan gatherings—crowds chanting in unison, energy rising—circulate widely on social platforms, reframing devotional music as something contemporary and communal. Clips circulating on social media appeared to show the reigning king of Bollywood, Ranveer Singh chanting and dancing at Vantara to Janhvi Kapoor swaying to bhajans, with Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan in attendance, making it aspirational. Within this broader context, the Vantara celebration for Anant Ambani becomes more than a private event. It reflects the movement of bha- jan clubbing into elite cultural visibility. When devotional music becomes the centrepiece of a high-profile celebration, it signals a shift in cultural hierarchy—where bhajans are curated experiences positioned within contemporary luxury and lifestyle spaces. What is emerging is not simply a revival of bhajans, but a reinvention of their cultural role. They are moving from temples to ticketed venues, from ritual to experience, from background sound to centre stage! Taylor Swift leads the nominations with 8 nods, Sabrina Carpenter follows for American Music Awards 2026 HE nominations for the upcoming American Music Awards are finally out. Singing sensation Taylor Swift leads the race of nominations with eight nods, which was revealed on Tuesday. According to reports, the four artists are tied for second place in the nominations tally, with seven nods each for Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, Sombr and Morgan Wallen. Lady Gaga and Alex Warren run close behind that group with six nominations each. The artists who picked up four nominations are Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Playboi Carti, Bruno Mars, Tate McRae and Tyla. Swift is up for Artist of the Year and Best Female Pop Artist. The Life of a Showgirl is contending for album of the year and best pop album. The Fate of Ophelia is nominated for song of the year, best pop song and best music video. Her contender for Song of the Summer, meanwhile, is Elizabeth Taylor, recently promoted as her 2025 album’s third single. Dean and Sombr reached the impressive tally of seven nominations as each as firsttime nominees. They will compete for New Artist of the Year, of course, as well as breakthrough album of the year and song of the year. Other first-time nominees include Teyana Taylor, Raye, Alex Warren, Katseye and others. — ANI STAR PERFORMERS A recent bhajan concert by London-based kirtan artiste Radhika Das drew a 4,000-strong crowd in tricity, reflecting how the trend of bhajan clubbing is catching up in the region And the (Clockwise from top left): Radhika Das, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, Krishna Das & Jahnavi Harrison CHAT UP EKAM DROPS HISSEY nominees are… Ekam is set to strike an emotional chord with his upcoming track Hissey, a soulful sad-pop number that dives deep into heartbreak, betrayal, and introspection. The song is part of his much-anticipated Mahoul EP . DHURANDHAR IN ~3,000 CRORE CLUB Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean & Lady Gaga c m y b Ever since December 2025, whenever Indian films are being discussed, one name that keeps coming up is that of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise. Both the first and second instalments have taken the box office by storm. With the phenomenal performance of both instalments, the combined worldwide gross of the Dhurandhar duology has now surpassed the Rs 3,000 crore mark, making it the first Indian film series ever to achieve this extraordinary feat.