ECHOES OF A MAESTRO

A centenary tribute honours tabla maestro Pandit Chatur Lal, who, alongside Pandit Ravi Shankar, introduced Indian rhythm to the world stage

- —Geetika Sachdev

On April 16, 2026, Safdarjung’s Tomb in Delhi will host a special evening marking the birth centenary of Pandit Chatur Lal—one of the first musicians to take Indian classical percussion to global audiences. Curated by his family, the programme is designed to go beyond performance. It will open with a gallery of archival material, including photographs, documents and personal accounts sourced from across the many countries he performed in. “It’s really about helping people understand who he was, beyond just the name,” says Shruti Chatur Lal, his granddaughter and artistic director and curator of the Pandit Chatur Lal Festival. A short film will follow, featuring archival footage and reflections from leading figures such as Pandit Jasraj