Well I went for the MTDC Elephanta festival last week. It has been happening every year since 1989 (I think). This year it was on for two days. On each day there was a classical dance followed by a classical music performance.
I could not remember the last time I sat in that launch near Gateway of India or went to Elelphanta Caves and though I'm not exactly a classical music fan, I thought why not check it out. Also, I wanted to go see the Elephanta Caves and the fest was just an added attraction.
But what ticked many of us visiting the caves was the fact that nowhere was it mentioned that entry into the caves was allowed only up to 5.30 pm. Now the fest was to begin at 7 pm, so many tourists who reached between 5.30-6 pm did not get to see the caves (I was lucky to be among the last ones allowed inside) which are the main attraction to begin with. I did speak to the organizer about this and even requested him that at least during the fest the caves could be lit up and be open to public for a longer duration or they should've clearly specified the timings on the passes. His reply was that the Archaeological Society of India (ASI) was responsible for the upkeep of the caves and that MTDC could not do anything about it. Well the same old bureaucratic problems... In fact an irate foreigner yelled at him and many foreign tourists as well as natives were disappointed by this fact.
Thankfully the performances were good. There was an Odissi dance first followed by a Hindustani classical vocal performance, but it was really long so I had to leave mid way. All in all a good experience.
Btw, now Mumbai has many annual festivals-Mumbai Festival, Kala Ghoda Art Festival, the Kitab Festival, Elephanta Festival among some others. This is a welcome change, hope such events continue as they provide a variety of entertainment apart from the usual movies, night clubs, restaurants etc. But I really wonder if tourists plan their vacations such that they can be in Mumbai for such fests...
P.S: Happy Holi
Posted by Sentimental fool
I could not remember the last time I sat in that launch near Gateway of India or went to Elelphanta Caves and though I'm not exactly a classical music fan, I thought why not check it out. Also, I wanted to go see the Elephanta Caves and the fest was just an added attraction.
But what ticked many of us visiting the caves was the fact that nowhere was it mentioned that entry into the caves was allowed only up to 5.30 pm. Now the fest was to begin at 7 pm, so many tourists who reached between 5.30-6 pm did not get to see the caves (I was lucky to be among the last ones allowed inside) which are the main attraction to begin with. I did speak to the organizer about this and even requested him that at least during the fest the caves could be lit up and be open to public for a longer duration or they should've clearly specified the timings on the passes. His reply was that the Archaeological Society of India (ASI) was responsible for the upkeep of the caves and that MTDC could not do anything about it. Well the same old bureaucratic problems... In fact an irate foreigner yelled at him and many foreign tourists as well as natives were disappointed by this fact.
Thankfully the performances were good. There was an Odissi dance first followed by a Hindustani classical vocal performance, but it was really long so I had to leave mid way. All in all a good experience.
Btw, now Mumbai has many annual festivals-Mumbai Festival, Kala Ghoda Art Festival, the Kitab Festival, Elephanta Festival among some others. This is a welcome change, hope such events continue as they provide a variety of entertainment apart from the usual movies, night clubs, restaurants etc. But I really wonder if tourists plan their vacations such that they can be in Mumbai for such fests...
P.S: Happy Holi
Posted by Sentimental fool
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