The legendary Marathi lyricist and poet Gangadhar Mahambare, who passed away recently, will be remembered in a unique way by a city-based organisation Janmada Foundation with a musical programme — Gangadhar Mahambare, Ek Smaran. The programme will present some of the rare and not so much known poems of Mahambare. Prominent classical singer Hemant Pendse, who is a disciple of late Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, has composed these poems.

"My association with Mahambare was very old. Ten years ago, I had asked him to write for me. He agreed to it and we started a unique project. He began writing on the works of different saints in the country," recalls Pendse. "He wrote on saints like Guru Nanak, Narsi

Mehta, Tyagrajan and Purandardas. We will be presenting this work and some ghazals written by him. It will be our musical tribute to him," he adds.

"Mahambare was known for his lyrics written for Marathi films and his Bhavgeets for private albums. But as a poet, he had written a lot. The programme is an effort to bring this facet of Mahambare to the fore," says Makarand Kelkar of Janmada Foundation as he further adds, "Mahambare was always involved in all the initiatives of Janmada Foundation actively. After his death, we wanted to pay a tribute to him and decided to remember him through his own creations.".

There are ten songs included in the programme. "Each poem has a different fragrance. There are ghazals, bhavgeets and devotional songs too. I have tried to compose the poems by giving them their own identity," says Pendse. While Aparna Kelkar and Pendse himself will sing the songs, Ritika Raverkar (harmonium), Bharat Kamat (tabla) and Aditya Apte (percussions) will accompany them. The programme will be compeered by Sanjay Pandit. Singer Mrudula Tambe has also helped developing the programme. Mahambare's son Jitendra will attend the programme