Pauline Chapel: On Diwali, 3 Indian musicians to light up Rome’s Pauline Chapel | India News

KOLKATA: Hindustani classical vocalist Supriyo Dutta, sarod player Partho Sarothy – both from Kolkata – and tabla player, Sanju Sahai of the Benares Gharana, have been invited to perform at Pauline Chapel in Quirinale Palace, Italy, on Diwali on Sunday morning.
The historic building in Rome is one of the three current official residences of the president of the Italian Republic, apart from Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporziano.
This large chapel is named after Pope Paul V, who ordered its construction in 1615 to endow the Quirinale Palace with a space the size of Sistine Chapel. Since 1823, Pauline Chapel has been used as the seat of 4 consecutive conclaves. The first pope elected there was Leo XII and the last one, Pius IX. Every Sunday, when Quirinale Palace is opened, the chapel hosts a concert, which is open to the public and is broadcast live on radio.
On the website of Quirinale Palace that lists the concerts at Pauline Chapel, the Sunday’s event has been described as: “Three Indian artists of exceptional international prestige propose a musical meditation on the occasion of a solemn holiday in the Hindu calendar, Diwali, corresponding to our celebration of the new year…”
Dutta is currently on US-Europe tour. “The concert is a production of Radio3, in collaboration with Rai-Quirinale and the Presidency of the Republic. It will be broadcast live on a radio channel. This is perhaps the first time any Indian artist has been invited to perform at such an event. I am glad the offer to perform at such a venue came to us from the Hindu Union of Italy, Alain Danielou Foundation and Kama Production,” he said. Keeping Diwali in mind, Dutta will present a bandish, with references to Goddess Jagadambika in the lyrics.