Stop And Listen To The City's Heartbeat

It's early February, but it's a sultry Monday afternoon. Sultry, yes, that's what defines the island city of Bombay for most time of the year. While most of the country celebrates the onset of basant or spring, I yearn for the petrichor...

The leaves haven't really turned a fresh green, and the flowers aren't really blooming as spring suggests it does, but it's vibrant. The air is pulsating with energy and music, there's a clamour for colour at the very heart of the city this time of the year. Millions throng to this part of the city fighting time and distance, and well, the crowds to witness the mélange of cultures and ideologies from the old world and the new presented at the Kala Ghoda. For sixteen long years, the festival has attempted to marry the old world charm with the new. It offers a charm of classical dances and music and weaves into the heart of the city that never sleeps, and gives back memories of a city brimming with life, and its culture to those who come and witness it from different parts of the country, and from across the world. It's true. Those who visit this city plan their in a way to make sure they get a glimpse of the festival. 

Like most new ideas, which eventually turn old, and change some form and in some way get corrupted, this one too has, at least in some ways. At least over the ten years since I have seen that transformation. I remember ambling in and out of stalls and sitting in front and enjoying performances from little artists to the maestros. But the other day, like last year and the year before that, I was busy jostling the crowds. And a bit disappointed that the new age cameras and FB culture has gotten people to only stop and pose beside extremely creative installations without as much as reading what they represent. Not even an attempt. Three days in and one beautiful installations of mirrors was trampled, and the glass fairly cracked. Ironically, a reflection of society. For me, that's the best part of the festival, which in many ways adds character to this festival. 

This time round, there were dream catchers, a structure from the plastic bottles we rubbish and then scorn, illusion depicted in the form of what I thought was a pinhole camera, the long arm of justice, a guitar among many other brilliant ideas. Some reflective, some thought provoking, some simply beautiful. I think art in any form makes one stop and ponder and take away from the mundanity and everydayness of life. Yet, the crowd throngs, and rushes past and misses the beauty and to me defeats the very purpose of what the fest attempts to recreate. The city of islands has so much to offer for the soul, if only we would stop to listen to its heartbeat.

And here's a lovely video created to capture the essence of the fest this year... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyB0NQGXzoM