Experience the Sounds of Indian Classical Music
Join an interactive Indian classical music workshop in Delhi and discover the beauty of raag, rhythm, and traditional instruments.
Led by Shikha Ganguly, a musician and teacher with 45+ years of experience, this workshop offers an engaging introduction to one of the world’s oldest living musical traditions.
Perfect for travellers, music lovers, students, and anyone curious about Indian culture.
Traveler and music enthusiast from France
Discover Indian Music Through Experience
The Sounds of India workshop is an interactive introduction to Hindustani classical music.
Rather than a lecture, the session combines demonstration, conversation, listening, and participation, making it accessible even if you have no musical background.
Participants explore the foundations of Indian music and see how classical traditions influence folk music and Bollywood songs.
What You Will Experience
During the workshop you will:
During the workshop you will:
Learn the basics of Raag (melody) and Taal (rhythm)
Discover instruments such as the tabla, harmonium, sitar and pakhawaj
Understand the differences and similarities between Indian and Western music
Participate in simple singing and rhythm exercises
Ask questions and interact directly with the music
No prior musical experience is required.
Meet Your Host
Shikha Ganguly is a Hindustani classical vocalist and teacher with over 45 years of experience in performing and teaching Indian classical music. She trained under Late Pt. Mani Prasad, a distinguished maestro of the renowned Kirana Gharana, one of the most respected traditions in Hindustani music.
Over the course of her musical journey, Shikha has performed, taught, and conducted workshops across India and internationally, sharing Indian music with students, universities, cultural organisations, and audiences from many parts of the world. Her sessions often bring together people from diverse backgrounds who are curious to understand the depth and philosophy behind Indian music.
For more than three decades she has also been running Sur Mandir, a society dedicated to promoting Indian music and culture through teaching, performances, and educational initiatives.
The Sounds of India workshop was created in 2017, following a special workshop Shikha conducted at a university near London, where many students expressed curiosity about the similarities and differences between Western and Indian classical music. The experience inspired her to design a workshop that introduces the foundations of Indian music in an engaging and accessible way.
Through her teaching and performances, Shikha aims to create a bridge between Indian musical traditions and global audiences, helping people experience the beauty, structure, and spirit of this remarkable art form.
Who Is This Workshop For?
This workshop is especially enjoyable if you are:
• A traveller interested in Indian culture
• An expat living in Delhi looking for unique experiences
• A musician or student of Western music curious about Indian traditions
• Someone considering learning Indian classical music
• Simply looking for a meaningful and memorable cultural experience
No prior musical knowledge is required.
A Great First Step into Indian Music
Many participants attend the workshop as a first introduction to Indian classical music.
It is a relaxed space to ask questions, understand the foundations of the music, and see whether you would like to explore it further.
Some participants later choose to continue with individual or group music classes, either in person or online.
Online Music Classes
If you are unable to attend a workshop in person, you can also learn Indian classical music online.
Shikha Ganguly offers online music lessons for students around the world, covering the foundations of Hindustani classical music in a structured yet accessible way.
Due to growing interest, class availability may be limited.
In case you are interested in registering for online music classes, please visit this link.
Workshops timings are Thursdays and Sundays 3 PM - 530 PM. If you have any specific date and time in mind, please mention that and we will try and see if it’s possible to schedule.
For private groups, please send us an email and we might be able to plan some other dates.
Testimonials
“This experience was amazing!! My partner has always wanted to play a sitar and how lucky we were! We were visiting Delhi and Shikha managed to fit our private session in while we were local to her! We did a lot more than I expected - we learnt all about the scales and singing the Indian version of the sounds and how it is important to the local music, we also tried the Tabla - quite tricky but lots of fun and finally the Sitar - WOW what an instrument, this was explained to us in great detail and we managed to play some scales on it - which is amazing all in 3 hours!!! Shikha looked after us well she provided us with water / tea and snacks and made us feel very relaxed. This was a truly wonderful and fun experience and we would recommend it to everyone! Thank you Shikha!!”
“Shikha was an amazing teacher to us. My friend and I are both trained musicians in western music and it she was able to explain Indian classical music in a way we could clearly understand. We wish we could have had more than one lesson on our trip with her before going back home to the US. It was an unforgettable experience and I would highly recommend to anyone. Especially musicians with a knowledge of music theory or rhythmic/hand drumming percussion. (If you are a musician I would suggest trying to get a private class so she can dive deep into areas that you are most interested in). If I ever come back to Dehli I will most definitely be booking this experience again. Thank you Shikha!!”
“It was a wonderful couple of hours, with a whirlwind tour of the hindustani classical music landscape and some theoretical basics with practical examples and in a way that I could relate to. I found the experience enlightening, fun and most importantly a great conversation, paired with great hospitality and interest/passion for the topic.”
“This was my first attempt to learn some of the technical stuff with music. I had always been inspired with music from all around the world, especially Indian music, which is in my heart as I grew up listening to the greats like Kishore, Rafi, Manna, RD etc... and then legends like Ghulam Ali, Nusrat F A Khan, Rahat, Anoop Jalota and few more....While music gave me goose bumps, I never had the understanding of how it all works in the minds of these gurus. Shikha mam walked me through the lanes of history that transformed Indian music. She provided me insights on the two musical platforms in India. I listened, questioned at times and noted all that she gave me in the two and half hours. By the end of the session, after having tried my hands on Harmonium and table, and numerous questions and details on Indian classical/Ragas/Padam etc, I could feel enlightened with the sense of music understanding that I never had before. I am glad I followed my heart to go for this session, thanks to the wonderful reviews from her previous guests. In between her teachings, mam would throw at me some renditions and I felt lending all ears listening, but precious things are often short. If anyone wants to step into the music world, as a learner, I would recommend attending Shikha mam’s class and then, venture ahead !! Btw, I was the lone guest that evening, so I had been fortunate to have had one on one session practically.”
“Shikha’s class was such a wonderful experience. She made me feel at home and taught me much about Indian music. I got to play all of the instruments and she served very good tea and snacks. Her instructions on how to get there were very clear, up the stairs between lanksart and Subway, on the second floor. She let me take pictures, record video, and even do a drawing influenced by her playing and singing. It is a safe location and you won’t regret doing this music workshop.”
“I attended the Sounds of India workshop with an American friend of mine and I’m glad I could accommodate that in my limited time in Delhi. I was particularly interested in how Indian classical music inspires Bollywood. It was also quite cool to try out the different instruments. Shikha has performed in a number of countries around the world and she was full of stories from her performances. Doesn’t happen often that you get to hear what goes behind the scenes for a global performer.”
“I attended this workshop when she was not even listed on tripadvisor. The workshop was quite personal and informative. I am a theater artist and there was a lot I learnt that my team can use in our productions. The workshop will not make you a professional indian classical music artist but it definitely will give you most of the information and ideas to build upon something big.”
“I was really pleased with the wealth of knowledge shared and the authentic delivery. Was not really sure what to expect but I’ve come away with some further listening and a new found respect and love for Indian classical music. Thanks so much Shikha and other guests Xi and Seth! Awesome to meet you all!”
“Shikha was an amazing teacher! She catered the class to our level of music experience and we learned so much! She has excellent hospitality and let us play all of her traditional Indian instruments. This is a MUST for any music lovers visiting India!”