For Delhi singer Vedi Sinha, a journey to Rajasthan to volunteer at the folk music festival Kabir Yatra, gave birth to The Aahvaan Project — Sinha’s musical and philosophical enquiry into finding meaning in a busy world. With an ektara by her side, she began reciting poems inspired by love, injustice and loneliness, weaving them through the teachings of mystics such as Kabir, Lalon Fakir and Bulleh Shah and Nirgun philosophy.
What started as a solo exploration in 2016 has since evolved into a collective, with collaborators including music producer Sumant Balakrishnan and percussionist Makrand Sanon. This Saturday, the ensemble will perform at the Sufi Heritage Festival. For the group, the setting becomes a meeting point of Sufi and Nirguna thought in contemporary life.
Says Sinha: “Our heads spin with what the world brings to us. And then we return to where we find strength — in the collective, in ourselves, and in the cosmic connection we already carry…. What does that love mean to someone who has nothing to think about except the next meal?” And what does it mean to someone who has everything sorted? What does it mean on the roads, or inside homes where justice and injustice coexist?”
These questions altered not just their music but the stories they chose to sing. Beyond ideologies, they say, lies “the bare naked human being.” That is where they keep returning.
A 10-year evolution
2026 marks a decade of the project. What began as an intimate philosophical search has gradually expanded in sound and scope. In the early years, performances were minimal — often just Sinha and her ektara. Around the Covid-19 pandemic, as more collaborators joined, the sound opened up, incorporating rock textures and layered musical influences.
Over the years, the ensemble has travelled across schools, villages and performance spaces, across stark contrasts of poverty and privilege, from cities like Goa and Bengaluru, Delhi and as well as states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Those journeys reshaped their understanding of Sufi and Nirguna love. “We got to see so many ways of life,” notes Balakrishnan.
A statement of presence
Last month, the collective released their four-track EP Main Bhi Khadi Hoon— a firm assertion of presence. Featuring ‘Daud’, ‘Aadhi Gagri’, ‘Sar Ghume’ and ‘Hunkar’, it leans into stripped-down production where ektara, guitar arrangements and percussion carry the emotional and philosophical weight.
Coming from a deeply folk-rooted background, stepping into this sonic expansion was not without resistance. “I’ve often been told to tone it down or do things the way they’re supposed to be done.” There is a sharper ability now, she says, to see things for what they are — to stand tall where needed, to question and challenge, but also to practise “detached attachment”. To walk through the forest of the world without losing oneself.
In a world where people are digitally connected but spiritually isolated, they believe Sufi-inspired music will only grow. For The Aahvaan Project, the next phase includes exploring more vocalisation and fewer words — more essence, less explanation. They are also working toward a children’s performance format and even a book documenting their travels through villages and cities. Ten years in, The Aahvaan Project stands where they began — in enquiry.
The Sufi Heritage Festival will take place on February 28 and March 1, starting at 2 pm onwards, at Sunder Nursery