Fabelle has launched the Nav-Ras Collection, a new range of nine handcrafted pralines that interprets the nine Navarasas through chocolate, in collaboration with ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA). The collection pairs each praline with an original musical interpretation of the corresponding emotion, creating a multisensory experience through taste and sound.
Navarasa has traditionally given form to nine human emotions through music, dance and storytelling. Fabelle’s collection translates these emotions into chocolate, with each Rasa interpreted through flavour, texture and form, while musicians and artists from ITC SRA have created corresponding musical compositions.
The nine Rasas explored in the collection are Shringara (Love), Hasya (Joy), Karuna (Compassion), Raudra (Passion & Intensity), Veera (Courage), Bhayanaka (Anticipation), Bibhatsa (The Unexpected), Adbhuta (Wonder) and Shanta (Serenity).
Fabelle’s Master Chocolatiers have developed each praline around the emotion it represents, using different ingredients, textures and forms. The corresponding musical compositions can be accessed through a QR code inside the collection’s box, allowing each Rasa to be experienced through both sound and taste.
Among the creations, Shringara, representing love and connection, takes the form of a heart and combines Ruby Chocolate with Aqua Rose. Raudra, representing intensity and passion, draws from the imagery of the third eye, pairing dark chocolate with Ancho Chilli and Candied Mango. Veera interprets courage through 70% dark chocolate and Macadamia, while Shanta uses Acacia Honey and Milk Chocolate Mousse in a white rose-inspired form.
The nine pralines therefore differ not only in their flavour profiles but also in the emotions they are designed to evoke.
The collection was unveiled at ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, through an immersive evening featuring live music and chocolate experiences. Artists from ITC Sangeet Research Academy performed at the event, which was attended by maestros Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, along with Saradindu Dutta, Executive Director, ITC Sangeet Research Academy.
Subash Balar, Vice President and Business Head – Chocolates, Coffee and Confectionery & NCD, Foods Division, ITC Ltd., said, “At Fabelle, we have always believed that fine chocolate can go beyond indulgence and serve as an expression of craftsmanship and creativity. With The Nav-Ras Collection, our Master Chocolatiers have interpreted something as intangible as emotion through the interplay of form, texture and flavour. Each praline expresses a distinct Rasa, while our collaboration with ITC Sangeet Research Academy brings that same emotion to life through music. The result is a multisensory experience created for chocolate connoisseurs who value craftsmanship, detail and discovery.”
Saradindu Dutta, Executive Director, ITC Sangeet Research Academy, said, “Indian classical music has the extraordinary ability to evoke emotion without the need for words. The Navarasa provides a timeless vocabulary for expressing these emotions. Our musical collaboration with Fabelle allowed us to explore how the same emotion could find expression through an entirely different sensory language, chocolate. As our musicians interpreted each Rasa through melody, rhythm and instrumentation, Fabelle’s Master Chocolatiers explored it through flavour, texture and form. The result is a fascinating symphony between two crafts, each expressing the same emotion in its own language.”
With Nav-Ras, Fabelle extends its exploration of chocolate beyond flavour into music, emotion and storytelling. The collection follows the brand’s earlier chocolate creations, including Trinity Truffles Extraordinaire and Fabelle Finesse.
