'Sounds of Kumbha', a spiritual album inspired by the Maha Kumbh festival and presented by singer-composer Siddhant Bhatia, has been nominated for the 68th Grammy Awards in the Best Global Music Album category. The nominations for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards to be held on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, were announced last week.
Commissioned by the Uttar Pradesh government as a cultural initiative, the 12-track project, featuring over 50 artists from India and abroad, aims to capture the spirit of the Maha Kumbh, the mega religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj that drew over 60 crore pilgrims during its 45-day run in January and February this year.
Described by critics as a “sonic memoir” of the Mahakumbha, the album blends live field recordings from Prayagraj, ancient mantras, and contemporary compositions by Bhatia and SoulTrax Studios in New Delhi, a press release said.
The album features contributions from Grammy winners and nominees such as V Selvaganesh and Raja Kumari, as well as Indian musicians Aditya Gadhvi, Kanika Kapoor, Kala Ramnath, Bhanumathi Narasimhan, Pravin Godkhindi, Ajay Prasanna, Kalyani Nair, The Indian Choral Ensemble, Siroyi, Aarti Khetarpal, Tanya Saxena and Sushant Pujari.
“Sounds of Kumbha” will compete in the Best Global Music Album category against Burna Boy’s “No Sign of Weakness”, Youssou N’Dour’s “Eclairer le monde – Light the World”, Shakti’s “Mind Explosion” (50th Anniversary Tour Live), Anoushka Shankar’s “Chapter III: We Return to Light” (featuring Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar), and Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania’s “Caetano e Bethania Ao Vivo”.
