Celebrating legacy

Mumbai may be changing every day, but landmarks like the Asiatic Library continue to manifest the city’s cultural heritage. And to remind us of the importance of such momumental structuers holding a piece of our history, the Indian Heritage Society (IHS) in its 28th year brings a music festival, Mumbai Sanskriti aimed to preserve the rich culture and heritage through live music.

Celebrated on the second Saturday of January every year, for IHS chairperson Anita Garware the festival honours and eulogizes the beauty of our heritage. “The birth of this festival was to bring awareness of all that we have inherited, and encourage citizens to conserve and maintain the same for future generations,” she says. Started in 1992, the festival was initially called Banganga Festival and was held at the heritage precinct of Banganga Tank in Walkeshwar. However, after the Bombay High Court order on sound amplification, it forced the creators to relocate and rename the festival Mumbai Sanskriti.

While the aim is to bring awareness about the city’s architectural heritage, Garware argues that live music will help accentuate the cultural richness and celebrate it. “Built (structural) heritage is borne from culture and history of a particular time. And Mumbai is a host to beautiful heritage structures that may have been overlooked, but have not lost their sheen and cultural significance. Thus engaging people in cultural heritage (music and dance) to inform them about the same,” she shares.

Among the performers at the festival is Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali, who has played at the Banganga Festival in the past. The musician shares that his performance at Banganga Festival was the genesis of his urge to perform at the Asiatic Library. “I am from Gwalior, which is highly regarded for its illustrious tradition of art, music, dance, poetry, and festivals. And so, when highlighting cultural diversity comes into play, I am more than ready to perform. The aura of Asiatic Library (Town Hall) during the evening hours and the love for heritage was enough to compel me here, and I am sure it will be more than enough for Mumbaikars to come out in hoards to popularise the culture that belongs to them,” smiles the Padma Vibhushan recipient, who will be performing along with his sons Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash.

Also performing at the festival is Hindustani classical vocalist Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar, a firm believer that music can heal hearts and force people to come out of their comfort zones. While he believes that the cultural identity of our country is what sets it apart from the rest of the world, he finds it his obligation and duty to keep contributing to it.

“Music has inspired and motivated people for generations, and when the spotlight is on conserving cultural heritage, music surely has a major role to play. With the effort that the IHS is putting in, I believe that music will create magic and Mumbaikars will realise the abundant luck they have by being a part of the city that boasts of such richness,” says the classical vocalist, who will be performing nighttime Ragas like Raag Jog, Raag Adana, and Raag Gorakh Kalyan to name a few. One can also embrace the soul-stirring music of classical violinist Kala Ramnath on the steps of the Asiatic Library.

Blending heritage and culture as a tribute to the city that was built over 2000 years ago, the two-day festival will showcase an electric mix of tradition, cuisine, music, and fine arts. Asserting that the festival is a cry for help for our fast-disappearing heritage, the IHS chairperson emphasises on honouring what has been passed on by earlier generations.

“We believe that heritage is reflective of the existing culture, and culture needs attraction, conservation, expression and attention for it to pervade. We need to promote it so that our future generations can value the same traditions. We must remember that we are guardians of all that we behold, and thus must hold heritage for future generations,” she concludes.
—On January 11-12, At Asiatic Society, Fort