India’s ‘Sounds of Kumbha’ Earns Grammy Nomination for Best Global Music Album
Presented by singer-composer Siddhant Bhatia, the UP government–commissioned project captures the spirit of Mahakumbha with contributions from over 50 artists worldwide.
In a proud moment for India and Uttar Pradesh, 'Sounds of Kumbha', a spiritual album inspired by the Mahakumbha festival and presented by singer-composer Siddhant Bhatia, has earned a nomination at the 68th Grammy Awards in the Best Global Music Album category.
The nominations for the prestigious awards were announced last week.
Commissioned by the Uttar Pradesh government as a cultural initiative, the album has been produced in collaboration with Network18 and HistoryTV18, and is being globally distributed by Universal Music India.
The 12-track project brings together over 50 artists from India and abroad, aiming to encapsulate the essence of the Mahakumbha- the world's largest religious gathering held earlier this year in Prayagraj, which witnessed the participation of over 600 million pilgrims during its 45-day duration in January and February.
Described by critics as a "sonic memoir of the Mahakumbha", the album interweaves live field recordings from Prayagraj with ancient chants and modern compositions created by Bhatia and SoulTrax Studios in New Delhi. It also integrates binaural beats to offer an immersive and meditative sound experience.
Seven producers - Siddhant Bhatia, Jim Kimo West, Raghav Mehta, Madi Das, Ron Korb, Charu Suri, and Devraj Sanyal - joined forces on this ambitious production.
The album features an impressive lineup of collaborators, including Grammy winners and nominees V Selvaganesh and Raja Kumari, along with noted 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 alongside 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 & Maria Bethania's 'Caetano e Bethania Ao Vivo'.
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.