Festivals for every neighbourhood

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Lady Flora checked the dial of the clock on the façade of St Thomas Cathedral's steeple that was visible from afar, including from where they usually met at Horniman Circle Garden. Sir PM was late for their weekly gupshup and walk around the neighbourhood. Just as she was rehearsing her lines to read out the riot act to him, she could hear the heavy stomping of feet. It was her friend, Pheroze, and he was bound to have an apology, as always, she had guessed. "My Lady, sincere apologies for my unpardonable delay. You see, I was racing against time since I had to do the trek to Byculla and back. Traffic, plus these massive charges for parking the horse carriage…" Sir PM did his best to convince his friend of his genuine intent to make it back in time for their session. She seemed partly convinced but partly suspicious, too. "But why Byculla? Is there something I need to know? Are you and Eddie [short for King Edward VII aka Kala Ghoda] up to another of your harebrained plots…like the last one to do a road trip to Poona?" she sent out her usual interrogatory missive.

"Oh no, no, my Lady. Dear me, never more. This was far less adventurous. You see, last week while you were in absentia when your cousin was visiting, Eddie and I decided to walk around for a dekko since the Kala Ghoda Festival had returned in its physical avatar. Eddie was keen to see how the festival named after his erstwhile presence in the area was doing after it made a comeback. I had some time to spare in the week since the missus was in Dahanu. It made for an insightful walkabout; you would have found it engaging," Sir PM added.

Lady Flora was still not convinced though, of his delay that evening, "All that is fine, Pheroze. But why are you late today? Is there something that you are hiding from me?" Sir PM realised that he had left out the main part. "Not at all. Silly me. This evening's chat with Eddie was to devise a basic plan. We feel that we should start something similar in Byculla. After all, it is such an illustrious neighbourhood, filled with history, community stories and a rich legacy. I haven't seen Eddie look this excited and enthused in a long time," Sir PM continued, hoping that this would calm his friend down. "Hmmm….looks like you two might have something good going on, after all. I quite like the sound of this. More so, this overarching thought for Bombay as a whole has been on my mind as well," revealed Lady Flora, hoping that her sometimes-slow-to-react friend would get the hint. Thankfully, he did this time. "Of course, my Lady. We were laying out only the spadework. Why trouble you with all that? We want you to join us," he shared. "And I feel it's not just Byculla. We, as ambassadors of heritage in the city, must do our bit to create awareness, encourage and support residents of other areas in Bombay. I hear that Bandra tends to have an itinerary - Pheroze, you would know better since you have family there - but I feel it is sporadic and inconsistent," she carried on, fully involved.

"You are absolutely right; we must have mini festivals that celebrate the culture and heritage of the place throughout the year, and when it rains, we can move the activities indoors," Sir PM added. He liked that the Byculla plan received his friend's full backing. "And I feel that the suburbs up north need a bigger thrust, where residents ought to take it up in a huge way; those parts are under major threat due to redevelopment and mindless construction that continues to rob it of its original character. My Bandra cousin often rues how his fellow suburbanites aren't even aware of the area's fascinating past. Such festivals, with well-researched historical data, fun and interactive activities for kids, and visual storytelling, can help rescue and restore some of its identity by creating awareness. More importantly, it is the only way we can ensure that the coming generations are aware of the wonderful legacy or that a heritage link or some historic association might exist right in their backyard," he explained.

"I fully agree, Pheroze. These hyper-local festivals must become a regular feature of itineraries across the city and its suburbs and should get funding from local corporations and those invested in safeguarding our culture and heritage. And it shouldn't be confined to just food, and dance and music, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. More people-backed initiatives like walks and talks about the area's relevance will go a long way in instilling a sense of pride," Lady Flora summarised, quickly adding, "And I cannot wait to be a part of the brainstorming session for the Byculla festival," she smiled.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana

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