India the land of culture is dived deep into its local art and traditions that vary every 100km. Art festivals play an important role in showcasing this diversity and providing exposure to myriad modes of creativity. Many art events in India are years old but one of the most significant and promising of this lot is the Kala Ghoda festival. It was launched in 1999 and has now become the biggest free-entry art and culture fest in the whole world. With the pandemic crisis taking over the world, Mumbai's favourite art festival was put to a halt for 2 years but is now back for its twentieth edition in February 2023. This grand fest will be held over for eight days straight in the kala Ghoda district of South Mumbai.
History of the region
The Kala Ghoda region goes way long back and now is known for its cultural activity. It acts like an epicentre of these activities surrounded by a wealth of art to visit including the Jehangir art Gallery, Max Mueller Bhavan, Bombay University, Prince of Wales Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, and David Sassoon Library. Many artists, performers, and craftsmen congregate to celebrate the art and the area which takes a beautiful turn in events like these.
Entry fee
There is no entry fee for the festival. Anyone is welcome into the celebrations free of cost.
Venue
The festival takes place within the Kala Ghoda district. The limits of the divided district can generally be drawn from the southern end at the Regal Circle to the northern end at the Mumbai University; from the Oval Maidan to the west and the Lion Gate to the east.
The events take place in a different venue. The children's activities take place on the lawns at CSMVS. For events related to cinema and music head to Cross Maiden and MG road. The food stalls will be organized at Mahatma Gandhi Road, Churchgate. The theatres and visual arts take place in Horniman Circle Garden, for the stand-up comedy you need to go to the Irish house, and for the workshops you need to be at the Artisans at VB Gandhi Marg.
Timings
From February 5 to February 13, 2023, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival will be open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM. Timings may therefore vary slightly.
Things you should not miss
The Kala Ghoda festival 2023 event consists of almost 14 categories this time covering as many cultural aspects and activities as they can. Here are the categories for this year.:
· Music: There are several concerts lined up in various genres for music lovers. Some famous artists coming this year are Jonita Gandhi, Sahar Zaman, Lydian Nadhaswaram, Nikhil Patwardhan, Shilpa Rao, etc.
· Dance: There will be many dance performances ranging from Indian classical and contemporary to international dance forms depicting India's diversity and versatility.
· Activities for Children - There will be various fun little activities and games organized for children
There are many other fun-filled and thrilling activities and categories you can engage yourself in. You can indulge yourself in visual arts, dance, music, theatre, cinema, literature, workshops, heritage walks, urban design, and architecture. There is also a street section selling eco-friendly handmade craft items.
