Indian weddings are aggrandised as a celebratory epic for the ages, replete with Bollywood-style dance-offs and music, but this account leaves out a small, minor, detail: the process of sitting through the traditional rituals with sometimes 50+plus guests. But the youth are full of great ideas, and young couples getting married today have found a way around the “boredom” that surrounds pheras. Enter shloka fusion sets, essentially mantras set to the tune of catchy electronic beats. 

Mihir Chandan, a music producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist, says that he conceptualised the idea of “shloka fusion” music to connect people with their heritage in a manner that appeals to the needs of the modern audience. “The fusion act stays true to the ethos and sanctity of the Indian wedding, but adds a new-age style with modern music production elements,” he explains. 

Chandan, who also holds the title of “Asia’s first electronic handpan artiste”, calls this fusion of electronic beats and shlokas the “Mantra Act”. The two-hour set involves a three-member team, and six instruments, including the flute, handpan, a Turkish instrument called the “darbuka”, dejembe, an African-Caribbean instrument, and the tabla. In the traditional elements, it’s either the sitar or sarod—or a violin, if the couple prefers western music. The vocalist sings the chants and mantras, while Chandan accompanies her on the instruments. “The handpan is an instrument based on frequencies, and it adds a positive energy to the rituals,” he says. It’s challenging to perform with so many instruments at a single time, he adds, because you might end up not doing justice to a single instrument.