Birwa Qureshi, Founder, Crraft Of Art, On Celebrating Monuments With Light And Music
I STARTED CRRAFT OF ART ABOUT 13 YEARS AGO TO REINTRODUCE MONUMENTS TO PEOPLE – ESPECIALLY TO THE YOUTH TO BRIDGE THE WORRYING DISCONNECT THAT IS DEVELOPING WITH THEIR ROOTS.
wanted to create an event to which they could relate and revisit in their mindspace. For this, I chose the monuments and to take them to the people, to make them attractive. To see that it gets registered as something special, I used two creative elements: lighting that enhances beauty and creates mystic, and music that gives life to a place. And, in case of the monuments, recreates the aura.
Music also creates a language of the monument. If I am working with a maqbara, we bring in Sufi music. At Adalaj Ni Vav, the music celebrates water. And therefore, it is not the music in isolation. Not the music for its own sake. It is music woven into the theme, spirit and language of the monument.
The first festival I organised was back in 2010 at Sarkhej Roza, Ahmedabad, perhaps the only monument where Janmashtami is celebrated. It speaks of secular spirit. It was interesting to design the festival here as it is a large flowing space. The second time we were at Sarkhej Roza we decided to perform in the lake . It took us long to dig and level the space. It was a great festival, a large audience. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s nephews performed there.
Few had heard of the Khan Masjid in Dholka. It was in bad shape due to inadequate care and maintenance. The festival gave it a new identity both in the eyes of the authorities and also the public. Conservation of that beautiful place is shaping as a new agenda.
One of my most popular festivals is the Water Festival at Adalaj ni Vav. I have been organising it for 12 years in the village of Adalaj during World Heritage Week in November.
Organising the Bhadra Festival, in the very heart of the old city of Ahmedabad, was a big challenge. The relatively small space between the Fort and the Teen Darwaja is an informal market place where some 2000 thelawals do their business regularly. It is a place of hectic activity. Everyone was sceptical about we being able to make space for a large audience and the performing stage. It was a complex job to organise the festival there but we worked with the community. The Thelavalas not only agreed to cooperate and make the space but ensured that there was no hitch or problem of any kind.
The Goombaj Festival at Amdavad Ni Gufa is different and special. Amdavad Ni Gufa is a brainchild of MF Husain and designed by the architect BV Doshi. It is a fluid kind of space, difficult to negotiate but the audience had a great thrill there.
This April, we were invited to create a festival in Ellora Caves which was interesting for me because I was able to use the lighting to illuminate these caves.
ROTARIANS ASK
CAN THE FESTIVALS BE HELD REGULARLY?
The only issue is of funding. Technically, the event is one evening but it takes about 15 months for me to prepare. As these are heritage monuments, we need to obtain permissions to arrange festival.
HOW DO WE GET TO KNOW OF THE FESTIVAL?
Through social media. Mainly, our festivals are in Gujarat. In January, though, we are also doing a festival in the Harappan city of Dholavira in Kutch and it is a very proud moment for me. I will put up the information soon. For the rest of the festivals, I have tied up with BookMyShow for free registration.
ANY SPECIFIC REASON YOU ARE LOOKING ONLY AT GUJARAT?
I grew up in Gujarat, so it’s my home state. There is no bias but the festival has been doing well there.
