As Chaitra Navratri is being observed across the country, the mood feels quieter, more inward, and deeply personal. For Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame singer Abhijeet Ghoshal, this phase of devotion has always been less about celebration outside and more about connection within.
“Chaitra Navratri has a different energy,” he shares. “It is not loud. It is more about sitting with yourself and with Maa. That silence is also a kind of music.”
For Abhijeet, devotional music was never something he discovered later. It was always around him. “In our training, bhajans were not separate. A bandish, a chant, a bhajan, everything existed together. That is where I first understood what it means to feel a note.”
That early connection continues to reflect in his music today. His renditions of Jai Adhyashakti Aarti, Ambe Tu Hai Jagdambe Kali, Aigiri Nandini, and Meri Maa Ke Barabar Koi Nahi have quietly become a part of many homes during Navratri.
“I have always felt that devotion should be simple,” he says. “A bhajan should feel like you are talking to Maa, not performing for someone.”
He recalls a moment that has stayed with him. “I was once singing at a small gathering at someone’s home. No stage, no setup. At one point, I paused, and people continued singing on their own. That is when I realised this music already lives within people.”
That sense of shared emotion is what defines this time for him. “Everyone observes Navratri in their own way. Some through aarti, some through silence, some just by listening. But the feeling is the same.”
Even after years of performing across genres, he finds a different honesty in devotional music. “In bhajans, you cannot hide. The listener will know if you are not feeling it.”
As Navratri continues, his music becomes part of these quiet, personal moments. “Navratri reminds us to slow down,” he says. “If someone feels even a small connection with Maa through my music, that is enough.”
Abhijeet Ghoshal, known for his five consecutive wins on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, has always kept his music simple and heartfelt. His recent devotional tracks like Superfast Hanuman Chalisa and Woh Hai Maa have connected with listeners in a very personal way. For him, music has always been about emotion and honesty.
