October 2 will mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 145th birth anniversary. With several kinds of celebrations afoot to commemorate the Father of the Nation, Classical Indian musician Neela Bhagwat will also be performing an ode, titled Mahatma.

An archival photo dating back to 1948, of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. It was the year he was assassinated.  Pic/AFP

Bhagwat had written the concert presentation post 9/11 in 2001 and has structured the performance based on the musical form, Khayal; including both the longer version, Bada Khayal and shorter version, a Chhota Khayal.

A famous singer from the Gwalior gharana, Bhagwat had been itching to use the khayal for quite some time. “Bol Alaap i.e. the usage of words is a prominent aspect in my music. Having done this for the last 30-40 years, I have always felt that the words should be contextualised and that’s how I have been making compositions.”