Venue: Navarathri Mandapam, Fort Palace Complex, Thiruvananthapuram

From 19-27 September

The nine-day long music fiesta called Navarathri Music Festival begins this year from 19th September, and concludes on 27th September. The music festival usually features some of the exquisite kritis (compositions) of King Swathi Thirunal, the music maestro and former ruler of Travancore.

The nine-day music festival is held at the Navarathri Mandapam, a pavilion beautifully decorated with flowers, located inside the East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram. With the sweet fragrance of sandalwood lingering in the air, the ambience is ethereal and connoisseurs of music are treated to their hearts’ content.

The music festival venue has an indigenous acoustic technology in place. These are in the form of earthen pots, kept in place by means of coir ropes, with their mouths open down towards the ground. The pots are of different sizes and thickness with their mouths having different measurements. They are kept at different angles to act as sound reflectors and to prevent echoes.

Getting there:

Nearest railway station: Thiruvananthapuram, about 1 km away

Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 6 kms away

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