Kandaghat Live Fest or KLF is the biannual Music Fest of the Facebook Group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne or YKDN. Since the inception of YKDN (named after the Patita song: Yaad Kiaya Dil Ne kahan ho tum, we have been regularly having online Music Fests on the Facebook itself. From the year 2015, we started meeting physically in Kandaghat (Shimla Hills, Himachal Pradesh) and now are very close to KLF #14 (It has been named Live Fest as opposed to the virtual online fests.

The videos of KLF are available on Fest Songs – Sunbyanyname playlist on YouTube.

Members Who Left Us Bereaved

Herkrishan Kaur

She was my mother and actually mother to the members of YKDN and KLF. Her house, Whispering Winds, Kandaghat, has been the venue (the only venue of the first KLF in 2015) for at least one of the nights of the KLFs. As the oldest member of YKDN and KLF, she shared cutting of the cake of YKDN with the youngest member for three consecutive KLFs.

She left us on the 09th of Aug 2017. She had formed one to one bonds with all members and everyone was sad to let her go.

Here is what I wrote about her within a week of her leaving us:

Now that, our mother, you reside with God,
And physically are a world apart,
There are voids in our home and life,
And an unfillable hole in our heart.

‘Whispering Winds‘ was made with your blood & sweat,
You made it a heaven on earth;
Not just we, your children, family & friends,
Even gods and goddesses know your worth.

So, adieu, mom, in the physical sense only,
You will always be there in our thought;
We promise you that the world you made,
Shall never be reduced to nought.

May you guide us with your kind hand,
From your seat in the Heaven above,
May gods shower on you now and always,
Their special care, peace and love.

Jaswant Singh Laghwal

After retiring from the Indian Navy, Jaswant settled down in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh with his wife, Kavita. He was an active member of the YKDN group. The descriptions of his songs were comprehensive and interesting.

He attended the KLFs in 2016 and 2017.

Unfortunately, he suddenly passed away on the 25 Mar 2020.

Here is what I wrote about him at his passing:

Yaaron mein yaar mila Jaswant Lagwal,
Halanke uske sang bitayen hain thode hi saal,
Par mere dil mein basa hai gehra khayal,
Apne dil ki ameeri se usne hamen kiya malamaal.

Uske chehre pe hansi har waqt rehti thi khil,
Dilkash raushni ubharti thi jab woh jaata tha mil,
Tum bagair jeena hamara hua hai mushkil,
Tumhara andaz raha hai suhana aur kaatil.

Hamari hansi tumse thi ab aansu dekho hamare,
Apni hi baat nahin kar raha, mujh sang hain saare,
Yaad rakhenge tumhen jab tak hain chand aur sitare,
Kisi tarah jee lenge tumhari yaadon ke sahare.

Gaye ho to sun lo hamari chhoti si fariyaad,
Wohi muskarata chehra dikhana jab tum aao yaad,
Dosti to rahegi azeez dost jaane ke bhi baad,
Har YKDN mein bana rahega tumhare hone ka swad.

The following video has a lot of pictures of Jaswant and his wife Kavita:

Sreehari

Sreehari Chava was my sister, Manik’s husband. He was a rare DLitt. Because Manik is a pillar of YKDN, Sreehari, too, took interest in YKDN and KLFs. Both of them attended the KLFs in 2018 and 2019.

Sreehari formed warm relationships with many members of YKDN and many participants of KLFs.

He stayed with us in Whispering Winds and even sat with me in our prayer room. Even during our first visit to their house in Nagpur, it didn’t look like we were meeting for the first time.

He left us last year on the 21st of September; a demise both sudden and shocking.

We shall miss him like anything.

JP

Jatinder Pal Singh Hanspal was my Punjab Engineering College (PEC Chandigarh) batchmate. I don’t recall having met him in the college because my stream was Mechanical and his was Electrical (He retired as the Chief Electrical Engineer of Punjab). However, once we came in touch with each other on 21 Apr 2021 because of our mutual love for music and songs, we became inseparable within a week.

He attended his first KLF in Nov 2022.

There is a separate and comprehensive write-up about him in JP Singh Hanspal – A Musical And Poetical Journey With Me. The fact is that he was the most talented member of our group. I have written more poetry on him than on any other member.

After attending the last KLF, ie, KLF #13, from 14 to 16 April 25, he left us suddenly at about 10 AM on 27 April.

The KLF #14 is being held from 03 to 05 Oct 25 to pay homage to him and Vipan Kohli. His wife, Renu Hanspal and his elder son Maninder (Sunny) shall be attending the Fest.

We made sure and Renu recorded her maiden performance in KLF. Even Maninder is a fine singer and would pay tribute to his late father through a song:

Here are glimpses of JP’s participation in KLF:

Vipan

God has made on earth very few people as warm-hearted and as gentlemanly as Vipan Kohli. He was, simply, my right-hand man in YKDN and KLFs. Indeed, when I mooted the idea of KLF in 2015, Vipan made sure that the idea saw the light of the day. He mustered all like minded people and was instrumental in motivating them to travel all the way to Kandaghat.

Vipan was the gel that kept the group together. He remembered everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries. His own descriptions of songs in YKDN were thoughtful, detailed, and apt. Other than JP and I, he was the only other member of the group who commented on everyone’s posts both on Facebook and on WhatsApp.

He suddenly left us on the 05 Aug 25.

We shall miss him. The KLF #14 is being held to pay homage to him together with homage to JP.

Participants of KLF #14

Achla, Anita, Anupam, Ashwani, Dolly, Gurbinder, Gurdeep, Hem Nalini, Maninder (Sunny), Meena, Nikki, Nutan, Ravinder, Rekha, Renu, Sharanjit, Surekha, Suresh, Surinder Grewal, Surinder Oberoi, and Toya have decided to participate together with our maestro musician (on keyboard), Gul.

As always, a welcome message (curtain opener) from me for our Fest from 3rd to 5th Oct (both days included):

परिंदा हूं, पतझड़ का भी हूँ शुक्रगुज़ार,
तिनके कहाँ से लाता अगर हरदम होती बहार?

दोस्तों ने तमन्नाओं से भी बढ़कर दिया है,
मांगा भी ना था मोती, मिला है पूरा मीना बाज़ार l

दोस्तों के आने पर सब होते हैं खुश,
पर किसी को मेरे जैसा नहीं रहता इंतज़ार l

खुदा ने भी क्या मालामाल किया है मुझे,
दोस्तों का नाज़ दिया और बहनों का प्यार l

आपके हुनर की तो दाद देनी पड़ेगी,
आती है आपके आने से नगमों की बहार l

नूतन जी और डॉली जी की तारीफ़ तो बनती है,
Whispering Winds में देखेंगे उनके किचन का चमत्कार l

Josen और Sharanjit तो हमेशा ही रहे हैं,
हमारी सब की शुक्रगुजारी के हकदार l

बस अब आने को दस दिन ही बचे हैं,
Kandaghat के आलम को अपने जादू से करें गिरफ्तार l

मेरी भूल- चूक दोस्तो, माफ़ करना,
मैं हूँ अनाड़ी, लेकिन आप हो समझदार l

💕🙏🎶🍾🎊👌

दोस्त हैं तो ज़िंदगी है,
दोस्त हैं तो जान है l
हैरानी है कई लोग,
इस बात से हैरान हैं l

दोस्तों की चाहत से
यारों, हम तो कुर्बान हैं l
दोस्त नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं,
दोस्त हैं तो जहान है l

लोगों की क्या क्या हैं ख्वाहिशें,
मेरे लिए दोस्त हीरों की खान है l
ज़िंदगी में मेरी अपनी नहीं कामयाबी,
बस दोस्त ही पहचान है l

खुशी जो आती है हर साल,
दोस्तों का ही एहसान है,
बाकी, Surinder, और क्या कहूं,
किस बात से आप अनजान हैं?

🎯💕☺️😊🥰

Achla

She joined KLF in April 2023. It would be right to say that she came into the group like a breath of fresh air. To say that she is a very fine singer is an understatement. Her interest in singing competes with her teaching skills. She is fond of Lata Mangeshkar, Madan Mohan, and Talat Mahmood. She sings them with great ease and elan.

Have a look at her debut participation:

Anita & her husband Anupam

Anita and Achla made their debut appearances in KLF 2023 together since they are good friends. Anita is actually Ranjana’s sister. We were privileged to have Ranjana and her husband, Shyam also attending KLF 2023. She has an equally fine taste in songs. Indeed, she warmed the cockles of my heart by singing my favourite lyricist Shakeel and that too, in Raag Darbari Kanada.

Being a fan of Mohammad Rafi, she is quite comfortable with high pitch.

Her husband, Anupam Kunal, would be attending for the first time. Here is Anupam Kunal. He is a practising Chartered Accountant. He loves music, old as well as new songs. His favorites are Rafi, Madan Mohan, Lata and Kishore:

Have a glimpse of Anita’s singing:

Ashwani & Meena

Ashwani Sharma is my batchmate from PEC. He is justifiably called the Bhishma Pitamah of aeronautical engineering. Having won various awards and honours in his lifetime, he has now taken upon himself to mentor and mould young minds in his profession.

He is a linguist. He is well versed in a dozen languages including from South India. His mastery of Urdu and Urdu poetry leaves us stunned. He is to Urdu what Shashi Tharoor is to English. He knows, by heart, lyrics of 10000 old Hindi songs. He is a lively singer. When he breaks into Punjabi, he often brings the house down.

He is also a great Master of Ceremonies for various events.

I was honoured to have foreword of my book of poems, Dhanak (Rainbow) penned by him. He introduced my book at its book launch on 07 Apr 2023 in Kandaghat.

His wife, Meena, would be attending for the first time.

Here are glimpses of Ashwani’s performance:

Dolly & Sharanjit

Dolly is the inspiration behind Sharanjit emerging as the country’s top glass maker (GCS Industry). He has the proud privilege of being the pioneer in indigenous production of toughened glass. From a scratch he not only built an enviable industry, but is justifiably credited with having established NOIDA into an industrial hub, very close to New Delhi.

Music is in his veins, especially percussion instruments. He forayed into singing at a late stage of life, but can proudly hold his own in Fest after Fest. KLF inspired him into founding a Fest of his own in his Greater NOIDA villa. As of Feb this year, he has completed three such annual Fests called DKM or Doston Ki Mehfil.

Dolly has been a worthy judge in many of KLF contests. Personally, I couldn’t have been honoured better than by having her launch my book of poems, Dhanak on 07 Apr 2023 at Kandaghat. She is filled to the brim with the milk of human kindness and because of her innate self-sacrificing nature, she has earned my highest respect.

Here are glimpses of Sharanjit’s debut performance in KLF in Nov 2022:

Gurbinder

Gurbinder Riar is the newest participant of KLF. She is the wife of Late Col. Bhupinder Riar. She earned a lot of regards from her students as a teacher and has some corporate experience, too, in Public Relations.

She is a close friend of our regular Surekha Saini.

Here is wishing her a rollicking time in this KLF and future ones.

Gurdeep & Surinder

Gurdeep is a rare singer (the only one) who made her appearance in Sharanjit’s Doston Ki Mehfil (DKM-2) before performing in KLF #13. She fitted into the KLF family like a glove. Everyone thinks that she is one of the best finds in Fests.

She is a great singer with excellent stage presence. Even after having oodles of singing talent, she is very rooted and warm-hearted. Her geniality is infectious. Everyone is involved.

Here is her debut performance in KLF:

She is married to Col Surinder Oberoi, the gentlest of human beings. I won’t have it that Surinder won’t sing in KLF. So, here he is performing with me in KLF:

Hem Nalini

Hem Nalini is an advocate. She is totally into old songs many of which would be challenge for all of us except perhaps Ashwani.

She has, however, one thing in common with us: she loves to meet people and have fun together.

Nikki

Nikki is the wife of Late Commodore HS Bajwa, a very fine Electrical Officer in the Indian Navy.

She looks after two companies started by her husband. She is a painter of great repute. Her house in Mohali, with all her paintings, is nothing less than an arts gallery.

She has abiding interest in songs and music and has attended many KLFs almost from the beginning.

In the last KLF, ie, KLF #13, I made her record her own debut performance in singing:

Nutan and Ravinder

Nutan and RPS Josen are two of the most sought after people in KLFs. He is a great singer especially of Mukesh songs though other singers like Rafi, Manna Dey, and Hemant Kumar also he sings with equal ease and excellence.

He is an alumnus of Thappar Engineering College, Patiala and served as an Air Engineer in the Indian Navy.

Nutan had been watching her husband setting the stage on fire from the sidelines until she, too, came on her own in KLF #13. Here is her debut performance:

And here are glimpses of Ravinder’s performance in KLF:

Rekha and Suresh

Having given this list alphabetically, Rekha and Suresh have appeared so far down. However, she is a top-notch singer and he isn’t far behind.

I discovered her at Safdarjang Club in New Delhi when Rajendra Kumar Tandon, a music enthusiast and friend, organised a Music Fest there for us visiting New Delhi on the way back from Kandaghat to Mumbai.

Suresh, an engineer, held the post of Executive Director of BHEL before retiring and settling down in Green Park in New Delhi. Indeed, their house garden there has won the Best Garden award year after year.

In recent years, Suresh has contributed substantially in pictures and videos going into YouTube posts.

Here are glimpses of Rekha’s performance in KLF:

Not to be left behind, even Suresh made his debut in KLF as follows:

Surekha

Surekha has been attending the KLFs from the first one in 2015. She has been a very active member of YKDN.

She has been blessed with a large family of children and grandchildren and she is forever looking after one or the other. The best part is that she is the same age (spiritedly) as the oldest as well as the youngest members of the family.

If there is one word that describes her fully, it is bindaas.

Her choice of songs, both Hindi and Punjabi, often involves everyone in either singing with her or start dancing.

Here are glimpses of her performance in KLF:

And see this at minute 57:13:

Surinder Grewal

He has been attending KLFs from the very beginning.

He is a doctor who graduated from Medical College, Amritsar. He divides his time between Ludhiana and United States.

He has been a very active member of YKDN.

His baritone voice has put a lot of us under his spell.

Here are glimpses of his participation in KLF:

Toya

Toya is the youngest and newest to join KLF this year.

She is as shy as she is accomplished singer. She has the voice and singing talent that comes closest to Lata Mangeshkar. She calls herself an untrained singer. However, she would put even highly trained singers to shame.

Here are glimpses of her very fine talent:

Gul

Finally, our music maestro: Gul Mohammad, the ace keyboard player. One feels blessed to have him in the group.

Not just in playing keyboard with great dexterity, he is also a very good singer.

Have a look:

Uday Thakur on Tabla and Harsh on the Octapad shall be accompanying him. They are the local Solan talent.

It is easy to say that with such diverse talent available, we are in for a most incredible Kandaghat Live Fest from Friday, 03 Oct to Sunday, 05 Oct 25.

Being your hosts, Lyn and I wish you an exciting, fun-packed, highly satisfying and enjoyable KLF.

We travel all the way from Mumbai to Kandaghat to be with you for KLF. In short, tumne pukara aur hum chale aaye!