Secunderabad’s Bansilalpet Stepwell, which is 300 years old and used to be silent all weekends long, is now a lively cultural area. Ancient stone stairs are lit up softly, down which the water shines, and the music is very faintly heard from the arches. Thus the historic building has turned into a site for art and expression that is living and breathing.
The rejuvenation of this place is spearheaded by the Tangy Sessions, a cultural initiative that was started by Arjuna Prasad and Deepa Radhakrishnan. The duo who are famous for arranging up-close and personal performances in atypical places, think of the stepwell to be a very nice setting where the past and innovation could meet. The monument is not just a remnant of the past for a few hours on weekends, but a common cultural experience.
“Hyderabad has many monuments, but very few heritage spaces associated with music,” says Arjuna. He believes regular cultural programming can reactivate historic sites, transforming visitors into repeat patrons. “When people return again and again, the place becomes part of their memories and identity,” he adds.
Weekend performances rooted in atmosphere
Bansilalpet Stepwell events are organized only on Saturdays and Sundays in the hours of 5.45 pm and 8 pm. Gradually, when darkness sets in and surrounding becomes cooler, the atmosphere invites the audience to the performances that are to be held in the harmony with the place.
Every weekend is a new combination of different art forms – Folk and Sufi music, Poetry, Mushairas, Dance, Theatre, and even Rap. This diverse mixture signifies Tangy Sessions’ attention towards the experiential tourism and the immersive engagement with the heritage sites.
“We are not genre-agnostic,” Arjuna explains, “but we are mindful of volume and mood.” This sensitivity ensures that performances enhance the stepwell’s character rather than overpower it.
Music, however, remains central to the experience. “Music leaves a lasting impact on the mind. As Indians, we always carry some background music within us,” Arjuna says.
Local talent with select national voices
The majority of artists that perform at the stepwell are from Hyderabad, which in turn strengthens the platform’s commitment to local talent. The audience has been through the emotional Urdu singing, the soft and soothing violin playing, and the close and personal acoustic gigs that leave a mark even after the night is over.
Tangy Sessions sometimes even invites artists from other cities, such as the well-known Rahat Indori of Satlaj, Bhattacharya of Sanjeeta, and Jain of Shreya. Kashmiri singer-songwriter Ali Saffudin, who is known for mixing rock with Kashmiri Sufi poetry, will be performing at the stepwell on December 27 and 28.
The Bansilalpet Stepwell, through these Sundays beautifully planned, is claiming little by little its spot back — not only as a historical monument but also as a cultural heart where the past and the present hear each other.
