Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, celebrated in the Kala Ghoda area of South Mumbai in Maharashtra, is a grand celebration of the vibrant art and culture of the city. This annual festival is organized usually during late January or early February for around nine days. Since its inception in the year 1999, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival has grown substantially in terms of popularity and significance and invites participants from all around the globe. Kala Ghoda Association is the organizer of the festival in collaboration with the teams that handle each of the sub festivals during the event. It is a non profit organization with an objective of physically upgrading the Kala Ghoda sub-precinct and making it the `art district of Mumbai`.
Events at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival constitutes a number of sub festivals which encompass lectures, literature, cinema, theatre, music, dance, visual arts, workshops and seminars. It also comprises of a vivacious street festival, special events for children and heritage walks. Folk dancers, musicians and street theatre artists hailing from different regions showcase their talents in the festival. Corporate sponsorship provides the expense for the festivals and entry to the events for the visitors is free. Interesting workshops are held for encouraging the participation of cheerful and curious children visiting the festival. Food lovers find exquisite charm at the festival as Mumbai`s master chefs conduct workshops. Theatres at the festival are pure delight and absolute display of art, vibrant costumes and innovative concepts. Puppet theatres are another significant attraction of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
Venues of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival
The major venues of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival include street area of Rampart Row, the M C Ghia Hall, the K. R. Cama Institute, Elphinstone College, Max Mueller Bhavan, the David Sassoon Library, the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Jehangir Art Gallery. In fact during the festival Rampart Row is closed for vehicular traffic and the entire area becomes a `street mela` constituting street art installations, artists sketching instant portraits, tattoo artists, food and artistic stalls and many more. Lately the festival has extended beyond the crescent of Kala Ghoda and the events are also organized in Horniman Circle and Azad Maidan.
The festival allures enthusiasts from all around the country and unites diverse cultures through vibrant celebrations. 16th edition of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival has been organized from 1st to 9th February 2014.