The Hindu : New Delhi News : Folk traditions come alive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 28, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Folk traditions come alive

Nestling high above the surrounding desert landscape, Mehrangarh Fort overlooks the colourful city of Jodhpur. Normally closed to visitors after nightfall, the Fort will be opening its doors for four nights beginning October 25 as part of the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (Jodhpur RIFF).

Music occupies a special place in the desert State, and the upcoming festival will feature over 150 folk artistes from across Rajasthan who will give music connoisseurs a rare opportunity to hear some of the most talented musicians from the region alongside the world’s finest classical, folk and fusion artistes.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Thursday, scion of the former ruling family of Jodhpur Gaj Singh, whose vision to conserve and promote the folk traditions of Rajasthan has been one of the key driving forces behind the unique festival, said he was personally very excited that the festival will be hosted at the Mehrangarh Fort.

“When I took over the helm of affairs, I borrowed the housing collection and furniture to make the Mehrangarh Fort a living monument. Now 1,40,000 foreign tourists and half a million tourists from our country visit it. We want musicians from remote corners of the State to innovate their music and interact with the rest of the musicians from other parts of the country and abroad.”

Gaj Singh said: “We have been supporting them at other festivals for some years now, and it was a natural extension to bring them back to the Mehrangarh Fort. Western Rajasthan is known for its vibrant music. Not that other parts of our State are bereft of music.”

The festival has been endorsed by UNICEF as a “People’s Platform for Creativity and Sustainable Development”. Profits generated from the festival will be used for projects benefiting art communities of Rajasthan.

The opening of the festival has been timed with “Sharad Poornima” – the brightest full moon of the Indian calendar – when the royal apartments, sprawling gardens, verandas, courtyards, terraces and ramparts of the Mehrangarh Fort are at their stunning best.

The star attraction at the festival will be performances by sitar maestro Krishna Mohan Bhatt (October 25), rock-fusion band Indian Ocean (October 26), internationally acclaimed flute maestro Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (October 27) and the international band Tarhana (October 28).

– Madhur Tankha

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