The Sawai Gandharva Music Festival is conducted every year in the first two weeks of December over three days. In the past, the festival runs through whole the night and the days used to end in the morning. Later on, when
Pune Municipal Corporation set rule to finish the program before 10 pm which leads to change in the schedule of the program. Traditionally, each festival is inaugurated with a tribute honoring
Sawai Gandharva, with a
Shehnai musician performing first, in the early morning. During the first two days, programs begin in the late-afternoon and are supposed to officially end by 10 pm. On the third and final day (previously a Saturday, now usually a Sunday), the programme is conducted in two sessions, the first beginning in the early morning continuing until the early afternoon, the second session begins in the early evening and ends at 10 p.m.
Finale performances Tradition was that the finale performance was presented by Bhimsen Joshi. Since his retirement, other members of the Kirana Gharana took on the role, including
Sangmeshwar Gurav in 2005 and leading disciples of Joshi in 2006. The vocalist
Prabha Atre has concluded every festival since 2007. The festival officially concludes with the entire audience and remaining performers listening to the
Thumri in Raag Bhairavi recording "Jamuna Ke Teer" by
Sawai Gandharva, a tune made famous by and signature of his guru, Abdul Karim Khan. ==Accompanists==