Report: Jaigarh Heritage Festival

“We want to connect as many young people as possible to our heritage. We want them to appreciate the fort not only for its history and opulence but also the architecture and water harvesting systems,” said Singh, adding that the festival was also a platform to support artists and craftspeople.

The programming included concerts, panel discussions, heritage walks and workshops that were spread out across the expanse of the majestic fort built by the Kachhwaha clan, giving visitors a chance to move around and explore spaces like Lalit Mandir Terrace, Subhat Niwas, Laxmi Vilas, Charbagh, Aram Mandir, Kal Bhairav Mandir, Ram Harihar Mandir and the water.

Vidya Shah, who is trained in Carnatic and Hindustani classical music, presented an engaging lecture demonstration taking off from her book Jalsa: Indian Women and their Journey from the Salon to the Studio. “The stories of women who sang in the gramophone era between the late 19th and early 20th centuries fascinate me. They were highly skilled not only as singers but also as entrepreneurs, having a command over multiple genres like qawwali, ghazal and thumri that were popular in the music market of their times,” she said.

Singer-composer Kailash Kher, who belted out hits like Allah Ke Bande, Teri Deewani, Saiyyan, and Rang Deeni, with his band Kailasa, reminisced about his relationship with the royal family. “I have a unique bond with Rajasthan. Diya Kumariji used to learn music from me. She considers me her son. When one of my music videos was being shot at the City Palace in Jaipur, Maharani ji used to also send food for me,” he said.

Carnatic classical musician Sushma Soma teamed up with N Deepan on the parai, M Rajendran on the thamuru, M Vijay on the satti, Adyar D Balasubramani on the nadaswaram, and Sumesh Narayanan on the mridangam and kanjira to present a performance called “Home” that invited the audience to reflect on their relationship with Mother Earth.

“I have been reimagining my Carnatic repertoire. It was taught to me as religious music but I want to initiate meaningful conversations about important environmental issues. I see nature as a place of wonderment and love, and I am so angry to see how consumption by humans has led to clearing of the land and destruction of species,” she said.

In addition to folk singer Malini Awasthi, bagpiper Shyopat Julia, Sufi maestro Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, nagada player Nathoo Lal Solanki, and khartal player Chugge Khan, the festival also featured bands such as Jaisalmer Boys, Tal Fry, Yugm and The Nimad Project that draw inspiration from Indian folk music but also have their own contemporary take.

Those hungry for intellectual stimulation listened to conversations with archaeologist Rima Hooja, architect Chandni Chowdhary, historian Parul Pandya Dhar and non-fiction writers such as Rana Safvi, Ashwitha Jayakumar, Tripti Pandey, and Syed Salman Chishty — the Gaddi Nasheen of the Sufi shrine of Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

He drew attention to the egalitarian and all-embracing message of Sufis from the Chishti order, saying, “When people come to Ajmer Sharif, they are not asked what religion or caste they belong to. Everyone is welcomed with open arms.” He added that the food served at the dargah’s qadimi langar is entirely vegetarian, made of nutritious millets like jowar and bajra, and excludes onion and garlic “so that even our Jain brothers and sisters can have it.”

Rana Safvi, author of In Search of the Divine: Living Histories of Sufism in India, pointed out that the word ‘Sufi’ is “bandied about casually… yet it is an intense contemplation of the Divine leading to a union with Him.” She explained that the pir’s presence is believed to thrive in the shrine even after his death. He is perceived as a link between the seeker and God. “Thousands visit dargahs every day, seeking succour and peace, healing and care, love, and compassion. When there are so many attempts to divide, it is important to talk of how dargahs have always united people and will continue to do so,” she said.

The festival also hosted an exhibition put together by Gokul Biju, NSV Pravallika, Priyashi Valia, B Mrinalini Reddy, Ishita Jain, GM Srivishal, Meghavi Suthar and Chinmay US — all postgraduate students of architectural history and research from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. They presented various aspects of Jaigarh’s history — its fortification systems, revenue generation and expenditure, religious institutions, military strategies, and implications of India’s independence on properties that were previously owned by royalty.

Miniature artists from Jaipur and Namda artists from Kutch collaborated to create a cloud pavilion inspired by the Baadal Mahals of Rajasthan. The pillars were ceramic while the canopy was made of wool. Students from Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur, sculpted a horse out of discarded metal to pay homage to the valour of warriors who went into the battlefield on horseback and to show that beautiful things can be made out of waste.

Another highlight of the festival was the traditional puppet theatre of Rajasthan, presented through giant kathputlis created by Md Shameem, founder of Puppetshala Peforming Arts Trust. “We have made these giant puppets to match the grandeur of the Jaigarh fort. The materials used are thermocol, papier mache, acrylic paint and fabric. They are held together by my team members with wooden sticks and harnesses,” he said revealing that each puppet that weights about 25 kg took a whole week to make. When asked about the strain on the puppeteers’ bodies, he added, “Audience ka response dekhke mazaa aata hai. Hum apna dard bhool jaate hain.” (We feel elated when we watch the audience respond with enthusiasm. We forget our pain.)

Looking back, the Jaigarh Heritage festival left you feeling satisfied, exactly like a sumptuous Rajasthani feast.

Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based writer, journalist and educator. His prose and poetry have appeared in books like 101 Indian Children’s Books We Love, Bent Book: A Queerish Anthology and Borderlines. He is @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.