The venue is St Xavier’s College-Mumbai, the event is called JanFest and the scene is as hectic as it can only be on the eve of a college fest.

The students’ committee head rushes in and out, harassment written large on her face. A huddle of students in jeans and T-shirts and with messed-up hair is putting together a giant jute lampshade as decoration. A long banner lies ready to be unfurled — it has gold letterings on purple satin.

But the names that the banner proudly announces are not from Indipop or Indirock or any Indian Idol last-rounder. Those performing this time are redoubtable names from the world of Indian classical music: Rashid Khan, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Anindo Chatterjee, Shubha Mudgal, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, U. Shrinivas and U. Rajesh (mandolin) and Partho Sarathy (sarod).

This classical music fest rocks. JanFest, one of the biggest events on the city’s classical music calendar, turns 32 this year and has been kept going entirely by students. The organisers call themselves The Indian Music Group.