Mumbai rock band Daira plays in Chattisgarh to a crowd of over 10,000 people

Daira with the local folk musicians of Chhattisgarh

Imagine thousands cheering to blast beats and guitar riffs - not in Mumbai, Delhi, or Bengaluru, but in rugged Bastar, Chhattisgarh. This unlikely scene first came to life in 2022, when Mumbai-based alternative rock band Daira was touring the state, stopping at Raipur and Bilaspur where they already had a collegian fanbase. It was then that IAS officer Rajat Bansal, then-collector of Bastar, stumbled upon this five-piece band and invited them to hold the district's first-ever rock concert and facilitate a workshop with local folk musicians.

The band fuses elements of alternative rock blended with a desi sense of humour. The band has pioneered "Awadhi Rock", emulating sounds from the Awadh mainland region through powerful vocals, riffs, groovy bass lines.

"The connection to the town and its music [through the workshop] was surreal," band members say, "and Daira returned to Chhattisgarh within a month to collaborate with Bastar's folk artistes." The band says playing their latest, high-tech equipment alongside traditional instruments such as turi, mandar, and dholak felt natural. "There was an effortless rhythm between us. We complemented each other really well," guitarist Shivam Pant and drummer Aditya Ranga share.

This collaboration evolved into the album Jaadoo Bastar that blends Chhattisgarhi folk tunes with progressive alternative rock. When released last month, its uniqueness caught the attention of the state government, too. Subsequently, over 12,000 people attended the album release concert in a district associated with Maoist activities and dense jungles.

Aditya Ranga and Shivam Pant

Last Thursday, Daira performed once again for State Foundation Day in New Raipur, drawing a crowd of over 10,000 people. A resident, Indrashish Chakraborty, 29, speaking to Sunday mid-day, says, "Big bands usually pull in such crowds in Raipur, the capital city, but indie bands rarely see such numbers. It's truly an achievement."

Daira has been touring Chhattisgarh for about a month now. "The most special thing about the crowd," says Pant "here has been the diverse backgrounds, which includes people from the agrarian sector, senior citizens, and the youth. It speaks volumes about how music is a universal language. And mind you, this is not a metropolitan crowd - the demographic was mixed and we could see how delighted they all were vibing to the music." "They even vibed to our English numbers, Pant, says, "It was an energy we hadn't expected."

The band, which has created 38 songs in their decade-long career, will soon go on a countrywide tour.