Family festivals are still to attract followers here but Christy Varghese discovers that those like the ongoing 10 Heads Family Festival have a lot going on with interesting artiste line-ups and a plethora of other activities
India, specifically Delhi, is known for its colourful, extravagant, king-sized melas. But the culture/idea of family festivals is yet to catch momentum in our beloved developing country.
Amidst all the traditions and emotions attached to Dussehra, Trifecta Entertainment has ushered in the the novelty of a family friendly experience- the 10 Heads Festival at Dhanchiri Camping Resort, NH 8. Indeed, we thought that the name of the festival itself was a reference to Raavan, the 10 headed villain of the epic, Ramayana. But it was only after a while that we realised that this four-day festival gains its unique multi-dimensional aspect.
For us, among the 10 mini festivals comprising this mega event, the impetus was on the music festival titled ‘Band Baaja Bass’, we confess. This was mainly due to the attractive artiste line-up featuring here on all four days. On the opening day, when we were strolling through the somewhat crowded, spacious venue, window-shopping at the numerous stalls placed under wide canopies, the thing foremost on our minds was the patience that we had to adopt in waiting for the maverick musician, lucky Ali, among the star studded list of musicians performing here.
But we were not disappointed as we were educated on the fact that 10 Heads is much larger than just its musical offerings. A comparatively large section of the venue was enclosed in a red tent which housed ‘Jaadunagari’. Jaadunagari, dedicated to the festival of magic and illusion, showcased several disciplines of magic with street magicians, illusionists and mind-readers amongst its itinerary. ‘Jaadunagari’ and ‘Bachcha Party’ were among those few sections of the event that were flocked by children and parents alike.
An approximate footfall of 7,000 people simply implies that there were 7,000 odd stomachs that would avail of the gastronomical offerings of 10 Heads, Foodistan and Toddyfest, the respective areas related to food and beverages. Foodistan was a definite success amongst the attendees as over 140 food stalls undoubtedly profited from the inevitable hunger pangs of its patrons.
While so many numerous aspects were being handled, the significance of the evening, Dussehra, was not lost on the organisers as they decided to go about things in an introspective eco-friendly manner. An event, titled Unburning, digitally incorporated the idea of a ‘green effigy’ with an extravagant display of lasers and lights, which involved the the ‘burning’ of ten evil elements, an undoubtable reference to the 10 heads of Raavan, minus the flames or environmental pollutants to encourage environmental friendly celebrations.
Though the Unburning invariably succeeded in capturing the attention of onlookers, the undeniable toast of the evening was was the combined aura of the artistes designated to perform here on the opening night of ‘Band Baaja Bass’. The prolific folk-singer Mame Khan, who gained popularity after featuring in Amit Trivedi’s Coke sessions, opened the evening explosively in his trademark desi style. His performance proved to be the apt opening act for the mystery man, Ali. As Ali lent his voice to his time proven classics like Na tum jaano na hum and Dekha hai aise bhi, the crowd which had assembled to see this legend perform was visibly swept away and Ali was no less awed.
“I have always maintained that performing music in festivals offers a broader level of appreciation from listeners, I will definitely be back here the next time as well. I would like to go with the flow, and I want to repay the crowd for all the love that they showed during my performance,” said Ali, beaming after his onstage excellence.
Though the night was over, our expectations haven’t dimmed a bit, with performances from esteemed groups like Indian Ocean and Massive Attack still to come in the following days. And the news that popular contemporary rapper, Baadshah, is scheduled to perform on the last day of the four day extravaganza has definitely kicked up a dust storm amongst people. 10 Heads is on till October 25, those who can attend should not let this opportunity pass by.
photo Kunal Nanda