FOUNDERS
Shivmalhaar Dhol Tasha Pathak (SHIM BLR) was co-founded in early 2025 by Girish Gowardhan and Mandar Dhamale, two professional musicians shaped by Pune’s rich Dhol Tasha tradition and brought together by a shared vision in Bengaluru.
Girish’s primary forte lies in Dhol, while Mandar specialises in Tasha, together forming a balanced musical leadership at the core of the troupe. Both are active performing musicians in Bengaluru’s live music ecosystem and regularly collaborate across genres through their respective musician live bands.
In 2022, the first ever Dhol Tasha workshop in Bengaluru by Maharashtra Mandal, Bengaluru brought them together. They met there, and through their shared musical alignment and a common approach to rhythm and improvisation Shivmalhar was formed. The name Shivmalhar is a junction of “Shiv” as in “Shivdigvijay” & “Malhar” as in “Malhar”.
FOUNDERS
Shivmalhaar Dhol Tasha Pathak (SHIM BLR) was co-founded in early 2025 by Girish Gowardhan and Mandar Dhamale, two professional musicians shaped by Pune’s rich Dhol Tasha tradition and brought together by a shared vision in Bengaluru.Girish’s primary forte lies in Dhol, while Mandar specialises in Tasha, together forming a balanced musical leadership at the core of the troupe. Both are active performing musicians in Bengaluru’s live music ecosystem and regularly collaborate across genres through their respective musician live bands.In 2022, the first ever Dhol Tasha workshop in Bengaluru by Maharashtra Mandal, Bengaluru brought them together. They met there, and through their shared musical alignment and a common approach to rhythm and improvisation Shivmalhar was formed. The name Shivmalhar is a junction of “Shiv” as in “Shivdigvijay” & “Malhar” as in “Malhar”.
