Quick question: What is it that binds food and music together universally?
We think it must be the primal sensory experience that never fails to satisfy the soul. Both foster human connections, both elevate the mood, both bring on a sea of emotions from pure joy to heartfelt nostalgia. In India, writers have used food and music as metaphors to describe Indianness in various settings. Did you know that in Sheila Dhar’s Raga’n Josh and Namita Devidayal’s The Music Room, food is used as a mnemonic device and a metaphor for musical training with the “ras” (taste/flavor) of a dish compared to the “ras” of a raga, highlighting the sensory connection between the two arts beautifully?
Kolkata, fondly referred to as the ‘cultural capital of India’, witnessed the second edition of Aahare Pragati Food Festival, an annual affair that blends the two art forms for patrons.
Aahare Pragati Season II was held between January 8 -11, 2026 and featured a diverse range of food stalls and performances by popular local bands. The crowd that thronged to watch and hear them happily tucked in food from across the world at the venue.
Camongo was there to cover the event. We bring you excerpts of our interviews from artists and bands on their presence and experiences –
Rajashri Bag – I am set to perform for the very first time at Aahare Pragati and I am beyond excited. I am thankful for this opportunity and I hope the audience will enjoy what I plan to present. As Bengalis, we are forever in love with music and food. I hope we always remain the way we are, delighting in good music and good food. May the new year be a wonderful year for each one of us where we keep pursuing our individual goals without harming any being.
Anindya Chatterjee & Upal Sengupta – We are here at Aahare Pragati for the first time and loving the atmosphere.
Lakkhichhara band members – Aahare Pragati was initially conceived as only a food festival and music was incorporated later on. The resultant was a hit event and now we are at Aahare Pragati Season 2. Going by the successful flow of the show, we have every reason to believe that Season 2 will also be a similar, if not a bigger hit. Footfalls have been great considering this is a food festival – 10,000 to 12,000. The song list will be a combination of Lakkhichhara songs keeping in view this event has more of a para feel with a cross section of audience age groups. Food and music have been forever imbued in Bengali ethos, not simply in this generation but the one ahead of us and the one before…take a pair of binoculars to scan history and you will find Bengalis have lived for food and music (and other cultural art forms) for as long as records are available. Aahare Pragati only reinforces this sentiment. It is incredible to see locals wholeheartedly taking part in the event despite its rather crammed layout.
Parvathy Baul – Explored the entire range of stalls at Aahare Pragati and absolutely loved it. There are stalls with regional winter fare. Khana and gana – the two are intrinsically linked together and Aahare Pragati has brought the two together beautifully on the same pedestal. We are thankful to the organizers for giving local folk music the opportunity to perform, the reason that brought us here. May the event continue year on year and grow bigger and bigger.
Fakira band members– A unique crowd and that makes it all the more enjoyable. Aahare Pragati, essentially a food festival within a para neighbourhood has woven music beautifully into its fabric.
Arko Tuhin Chowdhury– Loved the audience and enjoyed connecting with them. This is our second season with Aahare Pragati and we are grateful for the love and affection that I receive here each time. Definitely, we would like to offer our best music to them, a mix of popular genres.
Bhoomi band members – It feels great to be at Aahare Pragati Season 2 and the audience’s excitement is infectious. Everyone seems to be having a great time. As performers, we had a fabulous time connecting with them and enjoyed bonding through our songs and music. Food in winter is, no doubt, special. We have already savoured some of the regional winter delicacies like patishapta.
Rupam Islam – We are at the second edition of Aahare Pragati, a unique food festival that brings together food and music. Fossils, as a band, performs all over the world and by default, our band members get to savour a variety of cuisines. Personally, I feel Indian cuisine comes out tops. Food festivals like Aahare Pragati where you can go around and binge on food from literally every region of the world, I feel, help you realize and agree wholeheartedly with my pov – that Indian cuisine is the best! Shabash, Aahare Pragati!
