Eight artists, including the likes of Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Zubin Balaporia and Sanjay Divecha are all set to perform at the eighth edition of the Water Festival at the picturesque Adalaj stepwell in Ahmedabad on November 25.
Organised by Crraft of Art, an initiative founded by Birwa Qureshi, a dancer and design student from Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, the festival aims to reintroduce monuments to the masses, especially youth. Birwa said that over the years she has seen that the connect between the youth and these monuments is getting lesser.
Protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, the stepwell built in 1498 AD by Rana Veer Singh of Vaghela dynasty, is situated between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. A place of tourist attraction, the Solanki style of architectural structure has five stories.
The water festival has seen audience of 3,500 to 4,000, including those from outside Gujarat. Entry to the festival is free, but on invitation.
Birwa felt that the festival has grown organically. In future she plans to organise a festival at Champaner, a UNESCO world heritage site near Vadodara. In the past, a similar festival was organised at the Rani Ki Vav in Patan, another UNESCO world heritage site.
The festival at Adalaj will see Indian classical, jazz, fusion and Rajasthani folk performances. While Balaporia will play the keyboard, Sanjay Divecha will be on guitar and Dilshad Khan on sarangi. However, the star attraction of the festival will be Fazal Qureshi, son of late Ustad Alla Rakha Khan and brother of Ustad Zakir Hussain.
