The city’s most cherished musical fundraiser is set to return for a landmark 25th edition. Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals, conceived by the legendary ghazal maestro and Padma Bhushan awardee Pankaj Udhas, will once again bring together India’s finest musical talent over two days, continuing its quarter-century-long mission of raising funds for the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) and the Parent’s Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT).
(L-R) Vishal Bhardwaj, Sudeep Banerji, Rekha Bhardwaj, Hariharan, Talat Aziz and Mitali Bhupinder SinghThe festival will have performances by Anup Jalota, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, Vishal Bhardwaj, Rekha Bhardwaj, Javed Ali, Sudeep Banerji, Madhubanti Bagchi, Sunil Mungee, Aleena Bharti and Tejas Gambhir.
(L-R) Nayaab, Farida and Reva UdhasFROM A CUP OF CHAI TO A 25-YEAR LEGACY Veteran ghazal artiste Talat Aziz, one of Khazana’s three founding members alongside Pankaj Udhas and Anup Jalota, reminisced about the festival’s humble beginnings at the announcement event. “Dekhte dekhte Khazana ke pachees saal guzar gaye, pata hi nahi chala. Safar ki khubsurti, manzil se zyada, uske humsafaron mein hoti hai,” he said, recalling that the idea for Khazana was born over a simple cup of tea shared by the three artistes. What started as an informal conversation has since grown into one of the country’s most anticipated music festivals, a movement that blends timeless poetry and soulful melody with compassion, uniting music lovers, legendary performers, corporate supporters and philanthropists to transform lives through the healing power of music. CARRYING FORWARD A CHERISHED LEGACY Following Pankaj Udhas’s passing, the responsibility of carrying his vision forward has been embraced by his wife, Farida Pankaj Udhas, who now leads PATUT and by his daughters Nayaab and Rewa. “As Khazana celebrates its Silver Jubilee, 25 remarkable years, it stands as a living tribute to the vision, compassion, and enduring legacy of my husband,” she said. “For him, Khazana was never just a music festival; it was a mission of hope... Though he is no longer with us, his spirit continues to resonate in every note of Khazana.” This year’s edition will also pay a special tribute to the iconic Asha Bhosle, honouring the voices that have shaped Khazana’s legacy over the past two and a half decades. SPOTLIGHTING NEW TALENT Adding a fresh dimension to this milestone edition, the ghazal concert will showcase the winners of the Khazana Ghazal Talent Hunt 2026 from across India. The winners include Md Rizwan Ahmed and Ayaan Khan (Male), Sonali Das Natta (Female), Ankit Mishra (Poet Category), and Moksh Kataria, Kuhu Sharma and Pihu Sharma, who received the Padma Bhushan Pankaj Udhas Jury Award in the Kids Category. A TWO-DECADE PARTNERSHIP IN HEALING CPAA and PATUT have worked hand in hand for years to fund treatment for children battling cancer and thalassemia, with Khazana serving as one of their most vital fundraising platforms. Y.K. Sapru, Founder and Chairman of CPAA, called the milestone edition “a celebration of an extraordinary journey where music has become a powerful instrument of healing and hope.” He noted that the collective effort has touched over 10.6 lakh patients through medical, financial and emotional support, screened 4.7 lakh people for cancer, administered 58,000 HPV vaccine doses to young girls, and helped 35,000 families rebuild their lives. He also underlined the scale of the challenge ahead, pointing out that India now ranks third globally in new cancer cases, with over 14.6 lakh diagnoses recorded each year. On the thalassemia front, Farida Udhas highlighted the urgency of PATUT’s work, noting that 10,000 children with Thalassaemia Major are born in India every year, a tenth of the global total, and that one in every eight thalassemia carriers worldwide lives in the country. PATUT’s initiatives span awareness, detection, prevention, donor-donee bone marrow matching, transplant sponsorship for children under ten, and counselling. Over the last eight years, the organisation has focused heavily on Bone Marrow Transplants, successfully completing more than 175 procedures at a cost of Rs 1 lakh per child, in partnership with SRCC Children’s Hospital, Worli, and Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital, Parel. It has also adopted 15 patients for ongoing desferal injection support and, in 2026 alone, has conducted over 500 thalassemia screening tests and more than 25 HLA typing camps in collaboration with DKMS.
MUSIC AS A FORCE FOR GOOD CPAA, a 57-year-old national non-profit, continues to champion the “Total Management of Cancer”, an approach encompassing prevention, early detection, treatment support, rehabilitation and advocacy for underprivileged communities across the country.As Khazana enters its Silver Jubilee year, organisers reaffirmed that all proceeds from the festival will go directly towards the medical treatment, care and rehabilitation of underprivileged cancer patients and thalassemic children, ensuring that, true to its founder’s vision, every ghazal sung continues to carry a message of hope.
