Festivals you don't want to miss in 2011
Over the past few years, there has been a resurgence of different kinds of (secular) festivals across the country — from rock fests to kite festivals to film and literature festivals — leaving the average culture vulture spoilt for choice.
Over the past few years, there has been a resurgence of different kinds of (secular) festivals across the country — from rock fests to kite festivals to film and literature festivals — leaving the average culture vulture spoilt for choice. DNA picks the ones you simply can’t afford to miss.
The Eristoff Invasion Festival — January 13 & 15The next huge music festival after the NH7 music festival in Pune recently, Eristoff Invasion on January 13 in Bangalore and January 15 in Gurgaon is a must-catch for EDM (electronic dance music) fans — British electro rock giants The Prodigy will be headlining. The band’s chart-topper “Smack My Bitch Up” was one of the most controversial songs of the decade — as well as one of the catchiest. In Bangalore, you can also catch DJ Vachan, Bay Beat Collective, as well as Pentagram, Heavy G and Pendulum, the three of which will also be in Gurgaon Besides them, catch Jalebee Cartel and Midival Punditz in the capital city. The festival will go on from the afternoon till 10pm, and be followed by a post-party at an indoor venue. Apart from watching and enjoying high calibre live acts, you will also be able to purchase merchandise and visit special experience zones at the festival sites. Tickets at www.invasionfestival.in/tickets.
International Kite Flying Festival — January 14The International Kite Flying Festival is held on January 14, to coincide with the festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sakranti. The venues are going to be Sardar Patel Stadium or Shahibag Police Stadium. The festival will feature both internation and local kite-flying champions in competitions to showcase exotic kites. The festival programme for 2011 will be released within the next two weeks on www.ahmedabadkiteflyers.org, and will include flying competitions, kite-painting competitions, workshops, sports and food stalls.
Kabir Festival — January 21 to 23The first Kabir festival in Mumbai seeks to draw and connect the youth and other diverse audiences to the world of Kabir. With an aim of touching as many people as possible given the wide geographical spread of Mumbai, this has been planned as a multi-locale festival. The main events will take place at Sophia Bhabha Auditorium, Mumbai University Campus in Kalina, Karnataka Sangha Auditorium, and Carter Road Ampitheatre, Bandra. The events will consist of Kabir songs by Prahlad Tipanya, Mukhtiyar Ali, Neela Bhagwat, Mooralala Marwada, Pushkar Lele and Dhruv Sangari; screenings of documentary films by Shabnam Virmani; dance performances by Sanjukta Wagh; talks by Purushottam Agarwal, Rajni Bakshi, Asghar Ali Engineer and Shabnam Virmani. The week prior to the main festival will be given over to run-up events in the form of workshops, film screenings with discussions, poetry readings, art exhibitions, etc. at various schools, colleges and community centres. For more details, write to Priti Turakhia, the festival coordinator at kabirfestivalmumbai@gmail.com
The DSC Jaipur Literature Festival — January 21 to 25Asia-Pacific’s largest literary festival, the Jaipur Literature Festival is more apilgrimage than an ordinary literature festival. The 2011 edition of the festival will focus on the new movements in vernacular Indian languages as well as on the growing tribe of literary e-bloggers. The festival will be held at the Diggi Palace in Jaipur, and the guest-list includes two Nobel Prize winners Orhan Pamuk and John Coetzee, besides writers like Abha Dawesar, Arthur Miller, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Irvine Welsh, Junot Diaz, Martin Amis, Mohsin Hamid, Vikram Seth and more. Email jlf@lpti.com or log on to www.jaipurliteraturefestival.org
SulaFest — February 5Sula Vineyards organises SulaFest — a day-long celebration of music, fine dark chocolate, food and wine at Sula’s own estate vineyards in Nashik. From 12.30pm to midnight, SulaFest partygoers can enjoy a pageant of music, wine and shopping in the idyllic environs of the winery’s beautiful open-air, Greek-style amphitheater. This year’s music line-up will feature some of India’s leading bands like Pentagram, Midival Punditz, Something Relevant, Tough on Tobacco and Petri Dish Project. Spicing up this musical line-up will be the SulaFest Bazaar, with a selection of shopping and food stalls. Enhancing the experience of great music, shopping and food, revelers can be treated to pairing of dark chocolate with a wide array of fresh wines from Sula’s estate vineyards. You can book your ticket online at www.bookmyshow.com, or call 90044 93976 or 6128 0606. Tickets are also available at Sant, Rhythm House, Godrej Nature's Basket, The Bagel Shop, and Landmark bookstore.
Kala Ghoda Art Festival — February 6 to 14The Kala Ghoda has run into some trouble over allegations of law-breaking and noise-violations. But the organisers have powered ahead, and the festival is going to be bigger and better than ever before. They have finalised many local and international artists and musicians and interactive activities have been stepped up with a huge theatre line-up of more than 30 plays. The Asiatic Steps will be the stage for a mix of classic and contemprary music, and innovative dance performances will also be held. The association has also taken care to not repeat any of the stalls that participated previously, and many first-timers will be involved. To know more, log on to www.kalaghodaassociation.com.
Dance/Music: Elephanta Festival — Mid-FebruaryThe Elephanta Festival has faced security concerns since the 26/11 attacks. The focal point of the celebration is the ‘Maheshmurti’, an idol of Lord Shiva which occupies the Elephanta Caves. Renowned dancers and musicians perform outside the caves and traditional Indian dishes are served. The festival has attracted people from all over the world, and eminent personalities from the field of music like Nanda Shankar Jayant, Dr Neena Prasad, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Smt Shallu Jindal and Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar have played here. Art-lovers across the country are keeping their fingers crossed. Log on to www.maharashtratourism.gov.in.
MAMI Film Festival —Mid-OctoberMAMI, the film festival held annually since 1997, aims to foster a climate of good cinema. The festival brings the best of cinema to an audience who would normally not gain access to such cinema — under the categories of International Competition for the First Feature Films of Directors, World Cinema, Indian Frame, Dimensions Mumbai, Celebrate Age, Retrospectives, Above the Cut and New Faces in Indian Cinema. The Social Network was just one of over two hundred films showcased last year. To know more, log on to www.mumbaifilmfest.com.
Celebrate Bandra — November 12 to 25The important difference about the Celebrate Bandra is that it is attended and supported by the neighbourhood community. It is a biennial festival that began in 2003 to promote and preserve the rich culture of Bandra. The emphasis is on heritage, culture, art, films and music. Locals open their homes to the public and even provide you with homecooked fare. It starts after the first Sunday of Mother Mary's birthday. The way to Mount Mary Church is lined with stalls selling toys, earrings, T-shirts, delicacies like halwa and pickles, music in regional languages like Marathi and Konkani, merry-go-rounds and giant wheels for children, and even tattoo parlours.
The NH7 Weekender — December 10 to 12The NH7 Weekender in Pune in 2010 was one of the best music festivals held in India. The three-day event was organised with machine-like efficiency — each of the three outdoor stages had distinct vibes. The Eristoff Wolves Den electronica stage, for instance, has a giant disco ball hanging from a crane. By contrast, the Dewarists fusion and rock stage with its white posters and lush lawn lined with blankets for fans to recline on has a more chilled-out feel. The Bacardi Black Rock Arena meanwhile, was, well, very black. Acts like The Raghu Dixit Project, Shaa’ir + Func, Midival Punditz, and many more performed to appreciative crowds. Acts performed on The Other Stage, and musicians such as singer Alisha Batth have become the next big thing thanks to her lyrics and soaring vocals. Next year, you can safely expect the NH7 Weekender to be bigger and better. Log on to www.nh7.in/weekender.
Thespo Theatre Festival — December 14 to 19Thespo has participants under 25 years of age come together to organise a national theatre festival, stage full-length productions, short performances in informal spaces, attend workshops and build bridges across different schools of theatre. Thespo, which turns 13 next year, brought four new plays and five new short platform performances by youth from across the country this year. Apart from these, Thespo Fringe, introduced this year, had five performances that took place in a room without elaborate lights and sets. It’s a little too soon to book your tickets for next December, but catch a recap of the just-concluded festival at www.thespo12.blogspot.com.