Ahmedabad, Nov 3 Ahmedabad will host two cultural festivals celebrating the city’s architectural and cultural heritage during UNESCO World Heritage Week, bringing classical music, performing arts and contemporary artistic expressions to its historic monuments on November 19 and 25.
Crraft of Art has conceived and curated the two festivals — Bhadra Festival and Water Heritage Series — with support from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
“Set against the historic backdrop of monuments in the UNESCO-recognised Walled City of Ahmedabad, the festivals celebrate the richness and diversity of India’s cultural heritage through classical music, poetry, classical dance, theatre, storytelling, folk traditions and visual arts,” Crraft Of Art founder Birwa Qureshi said on Tuesday.
“This being the 17th year of Crraft of Art, on November 19 we are bringing an opening festival called Bhadra Festival, which is happening from Bhadra Fort to Teen Darwaza monuments in the Old City, and the entire precinct of Bhadra Fort will come alive again after 12 years since its first edition in 2014,” she said.
Beginning at 4 pm, the festival unfolds across Bhadra Fort, the Premabhai Hall precinct and Bhadra Plaza, culminating in a grand musical concert at Teen Darwaza at 7.15 pm, an official release stated.
The Bhadra Festival will feature Nagara, Sidi Dhamal dance, Mallakhamb Natya Sangeet by several artists from across the country. It will also feature puppet theatre and a traditional Gujarati narrative performance, the release said.
The evening concert features Ustad Fazal Qureshi (tabla) with George Brooks (saxophone), Sheldon D’Silva (bass), Arun Kumar (drums) and Rahul Wadhwani (keyboards), followed by Ustad Shujaat Khan (sitar), accompanied by Amit Choubey and Sapan Anjaria on tabla, it said.
Three exhibitions will also be hosted on November 19 and 20 at Premabhai Hall as part of the festival, Qureshi said, adding that the festival will also feature projection mapping on the façade of Bhadra Fort to attract the younger generation.
Another festival, Water Heritage Series, will take place on the last day of World Heritage Week, November 25. It will feature classical music, poetry and dance at three historic stepwells in Ahmedabad’s Old City.
On November 25, a Hindustani classical vocal recital by Pandit Jayateerth Mevundi at Jethabhai Ni Vav will take place at 6.30 am, followed by poetry performances by Soumya Joshi and Anil Chavda, along with a Bharatanatyam presentation by Prachi Saathi at Amrutvarshini Vav at 11 am, according to the release.
The festival will conclude with a musical finale led by Ustad Fazal Qureshi and an ensemble of acclaimed musicians at Dada Harir Ni Vav at 7 pm, it said, adding that entry is free with prior registration, subject to limited seating at all three venues.
(PTI News)
