For the first time in its 46-year history the venue is being shifted from downtown Pune to a relatively outer area. In a bid to provide additional facilities to the 15,000-odd audience who regularly throng the venue for this extravaganza, the organisers have decided upon the Ganesh Kala Krida Rangmanch.

S V Gokhale, secretary, Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal elaborates,``Last year when the festival was to be held at its usual venue, the New English School grounds, Ramanbaug the festival had to be postponed due to unseasonal rains and we suffered a loss of almost Rs. 50,000,'' he says. Having learnt their lesson, the organisers have decided to move the festival to the covered premises of the Ganesh Kalakrida Rangmanch. ``Besides, the former venue lacked facilities like a green room for artistes and adequate toilet facilities were not available. We had to arrange for mobile toilet units,''he says.

The new venue is to have all this and more.``The sound system will be of a better quality, there will be more parking space and the auditorium will easily be able to accomodate at least 6,000 people,''says Gokhale. The seating arrangements and the ticket prices will remain the same as last year, he stressed. The venue though is about the only significant change.

The Sawai Gandharv Sangeet Mahotsav promises to continue in its illustrious tradition of bringing accomplished artistes and relative newcomers on the same platform. The three-day festival will start, as it does annually with the mellifluous strains of Tukaram Daithankar's shehnai. Maestros and crowd pullers each one, Pandit Jasraj, Gangubai Hangal, Parveen Sultana and Malini Rajurkar will yet again delight music aficionados with their distinctive singing styles. With classical vocalists Shaunak Abhishekhi, Ganpati Bhat, Sandipan Samajpati, Shalmali Joshi and Yadavraj Phad marking a prominent presence at the mega-event Hindustani classical buffs are in for some memorable evenings. ``Pandit Bhimsen Joshi will not perform this year due to ill health. Pandit Feroze Dastur will bring the three-day event to a close,''says Gokhale.

But music lovers are bound to miss the sonorous voice of Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki who died recently. Continuining in its tradition of showcasing a balanced mixture of vocal with instrumental music there is also an impressive line-up of musicians including sitar player Shujat Hussein Khan, Sultan Khan on the sarangi and Zareen Sharma on the sarod. Puneites will also be get an opportunity to experience performances by vocalist Pratima Tilak and Dr. Dhananjay Daithankar on the santoor. Odissi danseuse and disciple of the legendary Kelucharan Mahapatra, the Italian-born Ileana Citaristi could not perform at the festival last year but will feature this year.

The event has indeed come a long way from its modest beginnings way back in 1953 as a small gathering of artistes like Gangubai Hangal and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi who met to pay homage to the memory of Kirana gharana stalwart Sawai Gandharva.

``The festival which started at Ram Agency on Tilak Road and then moved to Modibaug and then the Renuka Swaroop School to accomodate the swelling crowd. Five years ago the festival again changed venue this time to the New English School grounds, Ramanbaug, where music buffs armed with pillows, shawls and bedsheets sat under the starlit skies. This time around they need not bring all this along as the covered venue will ensure a warmer festival. However, the promise to deliver the best of music to Puneites and outsiders alike will no doubt prove that some things remain unchanged.