Modern Music for Medieval Saints

Abhanga Repost, a five-member band, is presenting the poems of Bhakti mystics accompanied by the guitar, drums and a contemporary vibe.

4 min readJun 30, 2019 12:44 AM IST

guitar, tabla, drums, music, band, music band, abhanga repost, bhakti saints, maharashtra, tedx, marathi, audience, indie folk fusion, art and culture news, indian express news

The band members of Abhanga Repost

Mani nahi bhav, mhane deva mala pav, deva ashane bhetaycha nahi re… dev bazarcha bhajipala nahi re (one is asking for God’s blessings when there is no devotion or feelings. God in not like any commodity in the market). This verse by Saint Tukdoji Maharaj, a saint from Maharashtra, is usually sung to a specific raag and taal. But the band of five youngsters called Abhanga Repost have taken on the challenge of replacing the taal with guitar, drums and tabla beats.

Every year in Maharashtra, the wari procession brings together lakhs of people who walk from Alandi and Dehu, shrines of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, respectively, singing poetry or abhangs by Bhakti saints. Abhang Repost, however, plays these poems at music cafes, clubs, art and music festivals to a young crowd. Such has been the response to the fusion of abhangs by this Maharashtrian Indie folk fusion band that they have been featured by TEDx. The episode will release soon.

In their early 20s, the five college dropouts met when they were studying in different colleges in Mumbai. Viraj Acharya, 23, was an engineering student, while Dushyant Deorukhkar, 22, was a student of mass media. Swapnil Tarphe was pursuing B Sc. Their love for music got them together. Along with Piyush Acharya and Ajay Vavhal, they decided to blend abhangs with modern music, while preserving the essence and richness of the verses and its message. “It has been three years since our band was set up and 250 gigs later, I think our parents are proud of us,” says Acharya, who plays the tabla and is also a vocalist. “We want to remember these saints of yore and their music for 365 days a year,” says Deorukhkar, the drummer and vocalist of the band.

The three-year-old band has been accompanying waris (pilgrims) to Pandharpur since the last two years, performing their fusion version of abhangs. The group is likely to perform along the route this year too. “The guitar is being played as an ektara. The tabla and harmonium are also being used. Drums play the role of a pakhwaj,” adds Tarphe, who is the bass guitarist and vocalist. “Folk music is our passion. We fuse reggae, Indian folk and rock metal (though there are no electric guitars). There are soulful songs as well. We have been able to manage well. Sometimes there are no shows but we set targets for the coming months. We will be cutting our own album soon,” says Deorukhkar. Acharya adds, “We recompose the abhangs in indie pop or folk fusion style but the messages have been kept intact.” He notes how there are some favourites, including when Saint Tukaram says “Just as butter is in milk, God is in you”. “We find an instant connect with the audience — be it young or old. The poetry written by saints contain deep revolutionary thoughts. All that we are doing is ensuring that it is heard throughout the year,” adds Deorukhkar. The band’s name denotes the endeavour to post the poems penned by saints in a more contemporary manner.

The reach of the band in not limited to a Marathi-speaking audience. They turn to Saint Dnyaneshwar’s words to explain their philosophy: “Worship your work. Nobody counts on rewards”.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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