The Bhavan
The London centre of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, open since 1972. An auditorium, art gallery and teaching studios for Indian music, dance and languages.
About The Bhavan
The Bhavan is the London centre of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the Indian educational trust K. M. Munshi founded in 1938 with the support of Mahatma Gandhi. London opened in 1972 as the trust's first centre outside India.
The building on Castletown Road holds a main auditorium, an art gallery and teaching studios. Students come for classical dance, tabla and mridangam, and for Hindi, Sanskrit and Bengali, at open and diploma level. The Bhavan runs as a registered charity, number 312879.
West Kensington station on the District line is three minutes' walk. Barons Court, on the District and Piccadilly lines, is seven. Buses 28 and 306 stop on North End Road. Look for the entrance on Challoner Street rather than Castletown Road.
Location & Directions
4A Castletown Rd, London, W14 9HE
Street parking restrictions apply daily from 8.30am to 10pm, with a one-hour maximum. For longer stays, use the terminal inside the venue: enter your vehicle registration and pay on arrival for concessional parking with no time limit.
Past Events
Previous KalaSudha performances at this venue
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to The Bhavan?
The nearest tube to The Bhavan in West Kensington, London, is West Kensington on the District line, three minutes' walk away. Barons Court, on the District and Piccadilly lines, is seven minutes' walk. Buses 28 and 306 stop on North End Road, three minutes away.
Enter on Challoner Street. The postal address is 4a Castletown Road, London W14 9HE.
Driving? See where to park at The Bhavan. For lifts and wheelchair spaces, see whether The Bhavan is accessible.
Where do I park at The Bhavan?
Use the parking terminal inside The Bhavan in West Kensington. Enter your vehicle registration number when you arrive and pay there for concessional parking with no time limit.
The streets around The Bhavan allow one hour at most, every day including weekends, from 8.30am to 10pm. One hour will not cover a concert.
Coming by Tube or bus? See How do I get to The Bhavan? For wheelchair access, see Is The Bhavan accessible?
Is The Bhavan accessible?
Yes. The building is fully wheelchair accessible with lifts to all floors, and an induction loop serves the main auditorium.
The auditorium holds two wheelchair spaces, both in the Front zone. Write to [email protected] to book one.
What is The Bhavan in West Kensington, London, like as a concert venue?
Concerts at The Bhavan take place in the Mountbatten Auditorium, a 294-seat hall with tiered seating in the old church section of the building. The auditorium has its own sound and lighting, last upgraded in 2005.
The Bhavan is the London centre of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an Indian educational trust, and has been on Castletown Road in West Kensington since 1978. The building also holds an art gallery and teaching studios, where students learn classical dance, tabla and languages.
Where can I hear live Indian classical music in London, and which venues does KalaSudha use?
You can hear Hindustani (North Indian) classical music live in London at London Ragas, KalaSudha's concert series in London. Its evenings are baithaks: the audience sits close to the musicians. London Ragas can take place at different venues across London, and KalaSudha plans to add more baithaks in other parts of London. KalaSudha is based in London, so every concert tour it organises also plays London once.
See how to book tickets for a London concert and how to get to the venues.
Have more questions? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!