Ghoda gallops on

The Kala Ghoda Association put off its Festival of India to be held in October this year. But a scaled- down Kala Ghoda Festival is all set to be held in February 2011

The Festival of India arm of the Kala Ghoda Festival, South Mumbai's premier arts and culture showcase was originally scheduled for October but wasu00a0 delayed because of a clash between residents and organisers.
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Final touches as an earlier edition of the Festival prepares to launch

Now, undeterred by that little hiccup, the Kala Ghoda Association has begun preparations for its Art Festival in February next year, which promises to be a less cluttered and, perhaps, a quieter one than those held previously.

Rumpus Row?
The Kala Ghoda Association on their Facebook page had on Sunday asked those interested in setting up stalls to apply for the same. However, the association is still contemplating about how they will manage live performances, given the clash between residents and organisers over the past year that has led to the cancellation of the festival in October. "We are trying to see what we can do about live performances on Rampart Row but we certainly won't break any laws to put up events," said Association Chief Executive Officer Pallavi Sahney Sharma.u00a0u00a0

Cama drama
So then why not move the event indoors? "The chances of it being moved indoors to a place like Cama Hall are impossible. Indoor events are not only expensive but impractical too. There is a chance that 1,500 people might show up.

To hold an event with that many people would require a venue like the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) and we would have to charge for tickets that would completely take away from the spirit and idea of the festival as a showcase of art in the city. However we are still going to ensure that other artists don't lose out and hope that some clarity about the rules comes our way that will help us host events and not break any rules in the bargain," said Sharma.

Stalls fall
The number of stalls is also being reduced this year. "Last year, there were so many that some people said it was more a street festival than an art event. So we are reducing the number of craft stalls. Last year, we had 98 stalls but this year we are being selective. There will be an interview process for all those wanting to set up shop. There will be at least 15 less now. We are looking to give artists and their installations a better opportunity to display their work," said Sharma.

Peace please
College student and local resident Berges Malu who had protested against the festival earlier this year said, "If it is true that the Festival will be a quieter affair this year, then I am happy to see it continue in a way that will be peaceful to residents. I hope the association follows all rules and regulations. However if the silent zone norms are not maintained, I will be compelled to go to court."

Run done
Sharma argues that the association is not out to promote the Festival alone. "We've been trying to create parking islands and pavements but we've been running from pillar to post just to get our proposals through. However that said, the Festival has brought us tremendous support and for the sake of artistes and visitors, we promise that this year's offerings will be better than any of the years gone by," said Sharma.

February may see....
More art installations
Less clutter because of fewer stalls
Major performances over both weekends instead of only on the closing weekend at theu00a0Asiatic Library.

Residents pay the price

However at the cost of the festival growing, residents in the area began to feel the heat.u00a0 Berges Malu who lives in the area had his examinations when the Association's offshoot, the Festival of India took place from October 30 to November 2 in 2009. "The sound generated at the Gary Lawyer event was so high that their system went bust," said Malu.

Annoyed by the same, Malu then began his research. "I got in touch with Sumaira Abdulali who helped me with the 2005 court orders that stated that the area was a Silence Zone. When the February 2010 Art Festival went on with loudspeakers, I decided it was time to act and went to the Colaba police, the Zone DCP and the Joint Commissioner of Police for Law and Order, which is when the issue came to light," said Malu.

More recently Malu's protests led to the cancellation of October's festivities. "I've received a lot of backlash. People ask me what my agenda is and why I have such a problem with the Festival. But then, residents in the area and even the proprietor of an art store have congratulated me for what I did. All I'm saying if that if there is a law it should be followed," he said.

Abdulali, who runs the anti-noise pollution NGO Awaaz, says that it is not like the organisers are strapped for options. "In 2005, when the court order had come out they had moved loudspeakers and live events to Horniman Circle but they eventually came back to Rampart Row and did so illegally.
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The truth is that while it seems that only one person is leading the protest here, the fact remains that Malu was the only one with the guts to do it. People are put off by the backlash they might receive and their lethargy is the single biggest hurdle when trying to tackle a problem," said
Abdulali.

Replete with history and culture

Kala Ghoda, meaning Black Horse, is a reference to a black stone statue of King Edward VII (as the then Prince of Wales) mounted on a horse. It was actually built by the famous Jewish businessman Sir David Sassoon.

Sassoon owned most of the property inu00a0 the area. He also has a library named after him. This statue was then removed in 1965 to storehouses of the Bhau Daji Lad Museum (formerly the Victoria & Albert Museum) in Byculla, central Mumbai. The statue is now in the Jijamata Udyan in Byculla.

Landmarks

Some of the precinct's prominent landmarks have history woven around them and prime amongst them is Esplande Mansion, which is teetering on the brink. It was once Watson's Hotel and an Englishman John Watson had opened the hotel as an exclusive whites-only hotel.

At that time, the Watson Hotel, a five-storied structure housed 130 guest rooms, as well as a lobby, restaurant and a bar at the ground level.
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The hotel also had a 30 by 9 m (98 30 ft) atrium, originally used as a ballroom with a glass skylight. At its peak, Watson employed English waitresses in its restaurant and ballroom. It inspired a common joke at the time, 'If only Watson had imported the English weather as well'.

There is the Jehangir Art Gallery, booked for exhibitions for the next decade and the pavement artists gallery, where artists who cannot afford to book halls for an exhibition sit and sketch or put up their work. It reminds one of the roadside cafes of Paris.

The Samovar restaurant nestles inside the Jehangir, now in a court battle to stay alive. The restaurant has a strong whiff of nostalgia mingling with the aromas of its parathas, where Mumbai's arty-hearty set would nurture their artistic aspirations. Oh, how very bohemian really!

Other institutions include the National Gallery of Modern Art, Elphinstone College, Rhythm House, David Sassoon Library and Knesseth Eliyahoo Synagogue (both attest to the city's Jewish influence), Lions Gate and the Civil and Sessions Courts.

History

The Festival began in 1999 where organisers hoped to encourage artists and arts in the precinct and also to improve and upgrade the existing infrastructure in the area.

That year, the festival stretched over two weeks focussing largely on artist exhibitions, both in galleries and on pavements as well as on talks and lectures delivered by prominent artists like Atul Dodiya and Jitish Kallat.
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From 2000, the festival began to include other events like dance and music performances. The association began a second festival in 2008 during the month of October called the Festival of India.

In 1999, the Festival began with few stalls and took place in the months of January or February. However after 2004, the organisers felt that with the launch of the Mumbai Festival that clashed with their event, the Festival should happen every year at a fixed time.

The Festival now takes place every year for nine days starting on the first Saturday of February up to the second Sunday.

The 2010 Festival drew more than 40,000 visitors overall and had 98 craft stalls in addition to art installations. It wasn't always that easy though as organisers recall having to request the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to set up stalls in the early years because they were not enough.

Now, of course they are spoilt for choice, with organisers in a quandary because of so many stall applications.u00a0

Loudspeakers
A 2005 court order declared the Kala Ghoda area as a Silence Zone.Following this, objections were raised in February this year over the use of loudspeakers at the festival. Conflict over noise pollution norms also led to the cancellation of the Festival in October.