Delhi | A spiritual journey through music, faith, and identity

Ghat Ghat Baje Naad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The magical, multi-layered narration begins as the first melodious notes soar, engaging the audience at once. Ghat Ghat Baje Naad is an innovative musical performance that uses puppetry, dance and music in an interesting way to take the story forward. The play has a cast of large bird puppets that sing and dance and each bird has a different character to add a sheen to the unfolding of this age old story, being retold once again. Some like the proud eagle ask intelligent questions while the owl, a timid, nervous soul here, is hesitant to travel into the unknown, but the determination of their leader — the Hud Hud encourages them to race ahead to seek the truth. Directed and designed by famed theatre actor and director MK Raina, the play is inspired by Suryakanthi Tripathi’s Wings of Wisdom. The story seamlessly weaves elements from Attar’s Mantiq Uttair — Conference of Birds as well as from two other classical works, the Ram Charita Manas and Buddha’s sermon to the bIrds from an ancient Tibetan text. We are taken on a fascinating journey, led by the intelligent and sensitive Hud Hud bird (the hoopoe) and as the audience fly over vast seas, flowing rivers and lofty mountains and explore remote valleys named after different human “states of being”, we gradually imbibe many vital lessons in life like kindness, compassion and detachment. This complex journey, often leading the birds into depths of despair and uncertainty and then lifting their spirits up, symbolises the inner journey of a soul towards a sublime destination, beyond this earthly realm. Ghat Ghat Baje Naad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The performance is enhanced by three sutradhars and their powerful, musical renderings add to the magic of this wonderful, fairytale-like narration which does not fail to hold our attention even for a moment. The music flows, gentle yet powerful and the liquid notes, are interspersed with sacred words from Persian mystic poems, Guru Nanak’s lyrical verses, ancient Buddhist texts and Hindu epics. Each line, we learn, though from a different belief, is seeking the same ultimate truth. The bird-puppets, the lead stars of this play, with their beautifully crafted papier mache heads, seem to come alive as the story unfolds. The Hud Hud is sensitively enacted by Paribhasha Mishra while Shorba Bong as Kag Bhusundi is very convincing as a wise, noble creature. The entire stage lights up cleverly and subtly as the birds dance with joy and gather around to hold their ‘conference’. Ghat Ghat Baje Naad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The play has been produced by Jyotsna Singh and the Dara Shikoh Centre and Temple of Understanding Foundation of India, and I wish the performance could have been longer because you get so immersed in the storytelling that you want to follow the birds as they travel further in search of the eternal truth; you want to be part of their journey as they fly from earthly elements to the divine. The play is essential viewing for students in schools and colleges in these turbulent times, as it incorporates values from all cultures and sacred texts and should go on its own magical journey to different parts of the country. Published - October 29, 2026 11:03 am IST