The Festivals will take place at Adalaj ni Vav on November 25, Champaner on December 9, and Dholavira on January 6
Ahmedabad: Continuing its tradition and mission of reintroducing India’s unique heritage as enshrined in its classical monuments and historic sites to a wider audience through special festivals of thematic music and image-transforming shadow light shows, CrraftOf Art, founded by acclaimed Bharatanatyam and folk dancer, Birwa Qureshi, is set to host three outstanding festivals this season.
The first one, the Water Festival, at the scintillating Adalaj ni Vav at Ahmadabad, will take place on November 25.
Two more festivals, the Champaner Festival in the proximity of Pavagadh Hills on December 9, and the Dholavira Festival in the Rann of Kutch on January 6 will introduce a new genre of festivals –presenting the townscape of the sites with multiple iconic heritage structures and captivating stories of their heydays.
The Water Festival, a much-awaited and well-known highlight of Crraft Of Art’s yearly calendar, is set to captivate audiences with enchanting performances against the backdrop of the stunning Adalaj Ni Vav. The festival aims to reintroduce the magnificence of this incredible monument to the public through a unique blend of quality thematic music and showcasing of the monument’s innate craftsmanship, beauty and splendour.
Birwa Qureshi, Founder and Artistic Director of CrraftOf Art, said, “We are thrilled to be back with the Water Festival at Adalaj Ni Vav for a joyous celebration of music, light, heritage and history. The Water Festival will unravel the layers of beauty, craftsmanship and folklore woven in this humane, spectacularly artful and people’s own monument. The evening will be special with the monument’s splendour enhanced through shadow and light and soulful music by celebrated artists. As always, the essence and the flavour of the evening will be in the rhythmic sync of the audience with the performing artists and the glowing monument.”
The galaxy of performing artists at the Adalaj ni Vav Water Festival include Tabla Maestro Ustad Fazal Qureshi, who has captivated audiences all over the world over the past 40 years, Ranjit Barot, one of the most accomplished drummers of the era, award-winning mandolin player U Rajesh, and V Selva Ganesh, one of the leading Kanjira players in the country.
Noted guitar player and composer Sanjay Divecha, bass player Sheldon D’silva, and versatile singer and performer Prithvi Gandharv will also perform at the Water Festival.
Another highlight of the evening, which will be hosted by the critically acclaimed and talented actor Pratik Gandhi, is a special performance by Nathulal Solanki and his group of Nagara players from Pushkar.
Crraft of Art’s Champaner Festival and Dholavira Festival, at the two UNESCO World Heritage sites, promise to go much beyond music and heritage. The canvas here is wider, the site, the townscape, that includes events and exposure at multiple monuments. At both the historic places the festival includes, besides music and light, local folk art and artists that have kept ties intact with the glorious past. The Champaner Festival, at Champaner Archaeological Park, on December 9 and the Dholavira Festival, at Dholavira in Kutch, on January, will also feature photo exhibition, museum display, crafts, food, folk music, folk dance, sightseeing, and walking tours, in addition to Sufi music, classical and world music concerts.
The Champaner Festival will include performances at Ek Minar Ki Masjid, Sakar Khan Dargah, South Bhadra Gate, Citadel, Seher Ki Masjid and Jami Masjid. The Dholavira Festival will include a walk of excavated sites, and music from different parts of Kutch, followed by a gala world music concert.
Crraft of Art remains steadfast in its mission to reconnect people, especially the younger generation, with the country’s invaluable, unique and rich heritage as a way of inspiration and as a contribution to nation-building. Taking monuments to people, with the embedded stories of art, crafts, artists, craftsmen, architecture, history, heritage and tradition is making them proud, self-assured and confident through a sensitive and rich cultural connect. Over the past 14 years, CrraftOf Art has presented 31 festivals at 12 locations. Tens of thousands have been reached and included in this celebration of India’s glory.
With a background in design and dance, and married to Tabla Maestro Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Birwa Qureshi has spearheaded Crraft of Art to bring to the public celebration domain a uniqueness that binds heritage, as displayed in historical monuments, with soulful rich music, rendered by the renowned, high quality and celebrated performers. In creative unison, music and monuments enrich each other. And it is not only joy of celebration and enjoyment but also inspiration. If Crraft of Art’s Sufi, Water and Goombaj festivals, have created a special niche in the hearts and minds of its followers that is because they represent a value. They are not mere events. They are ways of inspiring and enriching life and also being Indians ….
