Prahlad Singh Tipaniya (centre), who hails from a region near Ujjain, is known for his Kabir renditions in Malwi folk style. He received the Padma Shri in 2011.

"Hindu kahen mohi Ram piyara, turk kahen Rahmana/ aapas me dou ladi-ladi mue, marm na kou jana." (The Hindus say they revere Ram, and Muslims, Rahman. They fight till death over this, and yet the truth evades them) Written by saint-poet Kabir in the 15th century, these lines could well be about what unfolds around us today. To familiarise young audiences with the rich poetic tradition of India, the Khusrau-Kabir festival will present the compositions of Kabir and the 13th-century sufi poet Amir Khusrau in a contemporary avatar.