Renowned playback singer and All India Radio Top-Grade artiste Sangeetha Balachandra is preparing to undertake an extraordinary musical challenge — a 25-hour continuous performance of Dasara Padagalu in Udupi.
The event, titled “Panchavimshati,” will celebrate 25 years of Sangeetha Balachandra’s journey in the music industry and is being organised as a world-record attempt. The programme will begin at 6:30 am on August 23 at Sri Puttige Narasimha Sabhangana, Geetha Mandir, near Sri Krishna Mutt in Udupi, and is scheduled to conclude at 7:30 am on August 24. During the marathon performance, Sangeetha plans to sing 250 Dasara Padagalu, with each composition featuring newly arranged music.
She said she has selected several Dasara Padas that have not commonly been performed by musicians, giving the programme a distinctive musical character. The performance is planned to continue for a total of 1,500 minutes, making it one of the most demanding singing challenges of her career. To support the 25-hour performance, Sangeetha will be accompanied by two separate teams of musicians who will alternate to ensure continuous live music. The accompanying artistes will include performers on keyboard, rhythm pad, flute and tabla.
The arrangement is intended to maintain musical continuity throughout the marathon while allowing the supporting musicians to rotate. According to the guidelines of the World Records, the singer will be permitted a 10-minute break after every three hours of performance. Despite these limited breaks, the challenge will demand extraordinary vocal stamina, concentration and physical endurance.
“Panchavimshati” is not only a record attempt but also a celebration of Sangeetha Balachandra’s 25-year musical career. Through the programme, she aims to highlight the richness of Dasara Pada traditions, devotional music and Karnataka’s cultural heritage while marking an important milestone in her professional journey.
