Monsoon moods | Baarish Season 2

With the rain gods finally smiling on the capital, it is time for music, storytelling, textiles, crafts and sensory experiences to come together at the second chapter of Baarish. Excurators, the culture-led experiences company, is instrumental in bringing this experience that celebrates the monsoon as a living cultural tradition.

“For us, rain is much more than weather. It is one of India’s greatest cultural storytellers. It lives in our ragas and folk songs, in our handwoven textiles, in our puppetry traditions, in our poetry and in the memories that connect generations,” says Minhal Hasan, founder & MD, Excurators, adding that it is this belief that shapes every chapter of Baarish. “We don’t curate performances in isolation; we curate conversations between traditions.”

Master puppeteer Md Shameem and Puppetshala Performing Arts will kick-start the edition with ‘Garaj and Baras’, a performance that celebrates the joy of the rains, while the Ao Naga Choir will present rain songs and choral traditions rooted in the oral heritage of the Ao Naga community of Nagaland.

A curated conversation by Aadyam Handwoven will explore India’s diverse weaving traditions. There will also be a wine appreciation masterclass by Grover Zampa. The evening will conclude with a performance by Shubha Mudgal and her ensemble. The veteran musician shares, “Baarish or rain has always been a source of inspiration for poets, artists and musicians in India. It has been a catalyst for rejuvenation, fertility and re-energising. I have been fortunate to have sung about baarish on many occasions and in many styles and genres. I look forward to sharing some of this repertoire at Baarish Season 2 and hope that, this year, the rains will also clear the clouds of injustice, violence and barbarity that we have been witnessing.”

—Baarish Season 2 will be held on August 8 at The Tivoli, Chattarpur, New Delhi, 6.30 pm onwards