Delhi’s iconic Qutub Minar will once again become the stage for an extraordinary confluence of sound, light, and legacy as Songs of the Stone returns for its second chapter on 8 March 2026. Conceptualised by Simar Malhotra under her cultural platform Inkpot India, the series transforms heritage monuments into immersive performance spaces where music and architecture converse across centuries.
Presented in collaboration with HSBC Live the Legacy and produced by Excurators Events, this edition will feature two-time Grammy Award-winning flautist Rakesh Chaurasia and his ensemble, Rakesh and Friends. Known for his lyrical command over the bansuri and his ability to blend Hindustani classical music with global influences, Chaurasia promises an evening that reimagines classical sound for contemporary listeners. His ensemble—comprising celebrated musicians on tabla, drums, bass, guitar, and keyboard—will craft a layered sonic experience that resonates through the towering stone silhouette of the Qutub.
Malhotra describes the series as an attempt to make India’s artistic heritage emotionally current rather than historically distant. “Living so closely with beauty, we sometimes stop seeing it; familiarity has a way of flattening wonder,” she says. “Songs of the Stone comes from my desire to make these spaces and cultural practices feel emotionally relevant again, especially for younger audiences. When people experience heritage rather than simply observe it, something stays with them. And when there is participation, culture doesn’t need preservation.”
Building upon its debut edition, Songs of the Stone continues Inkpot India’s vision to position monuments as living repositories of imagination and memory. The initiative aims not only to activate heritage sites like the Qutub Minar but also to travel to lesser-known cultural landmarks across India, bringing them into public consciousness through world-class performances.
Inkpot India, founded by Stanford and Columbia alum Simar Malhotra, is known for creating interdisciplinary experiences that bridge scholarship and sensorial engagement. The platform has previously curated literary and musical events that blend performance with place-based storytelling, inviting audiences to see culture as a living, evolving force.
Songs of the Stone: Rakesh Chaurasia at Qutub Minar will take place on Sunday, 8 March 2026, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Tickets are available at District.in.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
