Mandala Makers Festival 2026
The Mandala Makers Festival is an annual multidisciplinary arts festival that celebrates the creativity, diversity, and innovation of South Asian artists in the United States and the global diaspora. Launched in 2019 in Chicago, the festival provides a vital platform for emerging and established artists working across dance, music, theater, film, and interdisciplinary performance. Mandala Makers Festival highlights both traditional and contemporary expressions, fostering artistic experimentation while honoring cultural heritage. Through performances, community gatherings, and collaborative programming, the festival brings together artists and audiences to experience the richness of South Asian culture and to amplify voices shaping the future of diasporic arts.
Weds, April 15
Constellation Chicago
Jugalbandhi
8:30PM
Tickets $20
3111 N Western Ave.
Chicago, IL, 60618
Sat, May 2
Visceral Dance Center
PURUSH: when power becomes poetry
7:30PM
Tickets $25
3121 N Rockwell St.
Chicago, IL 60618
Featuring:
Colin Mascarenhas, an Odissi artist and founding member of the Aikyam Odissi Dance Collective in Chicago. His aesthetic draws inspiration from classical temple architecture, reflecting Odissi’s sculptural and spiritual roots. Colin has performed at major venues like the US Embassy in Delhi and the Consulate of India in Chicago. He is dedicated to preserving traditional Odissi and teaching it in the Chicago area.
Rajagopalan Kiran James is a Chicago-based dancer, choreographer, and educator whose performances are rooted in poetic storytelling and social justice. He is the co-founder of Daya Arts, a nonprofit highlighting South Asian and West African arts, as well as Off the Beat, a podcast imagining new futures for South Asian dance. He has performed internationally, participated in artist residencies at Snug Harbor and Catwalk Institute, and served as the former Executive Director of Kalapriya.
Weds, June 3
Old Town School of Folk Music
Sabir Khan
7:30PM
FREE Event
Reserve Tickets
4544 N Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
Sun, July 12
Round Robin Improv Jam Session
6PM
1501 N Kingsbury St. Ave.
Chicago, IL 60642
Featuring:
Rahul Sharma (Funkadesi) on bass and sitar
Lucia Thomas (Ochin Pakhi) on violin
Krissy Bermark (Sprig of That) on tabla
Fri, Sept. 11
Arushi Mudgal: Odissi Classical Dance
6:30PM
Tickets $20
Born into a family of musicians, Arushi had a fortune of in-depth exposure to music and dance through the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, an institute started by her grandfather Pt. Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya and headed currently by her father, Shri Madhup Mudgal. She started learning Odissi dance formally at the age of five from her aunt and Guru Smt. Madhavi Mudgal. In 2007, she completed her graduation in Odissi dance. She also co-authored a book on aesthetics of Odissi with the senior scholar and aesthetician Professor S.K. Saxena.
Arushi has performed extensively as a soloist at various prestigious festivals within India and abroad, including the Musee Guimet Festival in Paris, Joan Weill Dance Center in New York, and the Dance India Asia Pacific Showcase in Singapore. She is also empanelled with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and has served as a representative of the Indian government’s delegation in Mauritius.
Sat, Sept. 12
Epiphany Center for the Arts
Vijay Iyer, Alam Khan, and Nitin Mitta | Sanctuary
8:30PM
Tickets $35-75
201 S Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60607
Mandala Makers Festival presents a rare night of music featuring an improvisational dialogue between piano, sarod, and tabla.
This project began with a long-standing friendship and creative curiosity between pianist Vijay Iyer and sarod player Alam Khan, both of whom had worked independently with tabla player Nitin Mitta. When the three gathered in California for a two-day session, it unfolded as an unplanned yet deeply connected musical conversation.
Born of spontaneity and mutual respect, this collaboration lives in the moment. Drawing from their shared fluency in improvisation, the trio recorded a series of intimate, exploratory pieces that became the foundation for their EP, Sanctuary, released Dec, 2025. These recordings reflect the spirit of listening and discovery that guided their first encounter.
About the Artists:
Vijay Iyer is a celebrated composer and pianist whose work defies categorization. Known for his innovation and emotional depth, he has been named DownBeat’s Jazz Artist of the Year multiple times and is a MacArthur Fellow.
Alam Khan carries the lineage of his father, the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and the Maihar Gharana. A two-time Grammy Award nominated master of the sarod, Alam brings tradition into the present through boundary-crossing collaborations and soulful expression.
Nitin Mitta is an acclaimed tabla player whose versatility and sensitivity have made him a sought-after collaborator across Indian classical and contemporary music scenes.
Sun, Sept. 13
Fareed Haque & Selvaganesh Vinayakram
6PM
Tickets $35
1501 N Kingsbury St. Ave.
Chicago, IL 60642
Join Mandala for a night of musical fireworks driven by two masters of their instruments. Two-time Grammy winner and Shakti member Selvaganesh Vinayakram on kanjira, mridangam, and percussion performs with two-time Grammy nominee Fareed Haque on acoustic guitar. In addition to a classic jazz standards and covers, the two will dive deep in the art of improvisational music and live composition.
Haque and Vinayakram are deeply intertwined in the international music scene through several high-profile collaborations; both are core members of Summit, an Indo-jazz fusion group founded by saxophonist George Brooks and the late tabla master Zakir Hussain. This ensemble blends Indian classical ragas with contemporary jazz harmony and complex percussion. The duo have also collaborated as part of the Fareed Haque Group, bringing together South Indian kanjira frame drums, the ghatam clay pot drum, and Haque’s eclectic, genre-bending guitar style.
Featuring:
Fareed Haque, a first generation Pakistani-Chilean and modern guitar virtuoso born in Chicago. Haque is celebrated for his command of both classical guitar, jazz and beyond. His heritage and extensive training allow him to effortlessly traverse jazz, rock, and world music.
Selvaganesh Vinayakram, the son of legendary ghatam master Vikku Vinayakram of Shakti and Planet Drum. Selvaganesh is a Grammy-winning percussionist as a member of Shakti, globally recognized as one of the finest kanjira players of his generation.
