My Exploritales: February 2015

Kala Ghoda 2015 was here and as usual I was all set to go-a-clicking!The Moments Shoot group made the plans and I joined in .We met on the second day ,that was on 8th February 2015 and we walked to our favourite breakfast hangout,Kyanis.After the small group had their fill of cheese-burjee pau,chicken-cheese grill sandwich,chicken burger,mawa cake and brun-maska-chai we made our way towards the venue.What a thrill to find a fleet of Fiats lined up near Hutatma Chowk!We started clicking away and also had our introduction round.There were mostly all old pals of our photography group.Still some more joined us at the venue.
As usual,the entrance was just outside the Jehangir Art Gallery.It was a real blessing that we reached before the gates were open to patrons as later the crowds surged.We made the most of it by clicking away to our hearts content.While in the queue I saw....hold your breath.......Akshay Kumar,Twinkle Khanna/Kumar and Aarav!!!Yes!!!I saw him first and it took a few seconds to register that it was really them.I pointed him out to my daughter who at once screamed,AKSHAY!!!!Everyones attention was on Akshay now as he got into his swanky set of wheels while his wife and son entered the venue of the fest.Later on I realised that the proud parents were there to cheer their son at his maiden act at the Kala Ghoda fest.aarav and his school kids performed a short skit there. Akshay gave us a sweet smile,waved to us and left.With that great start we entered.
There were many installations and stalls this time too.We read the information about the installations and clicked away.There were installations on Homes,Modern women,water,Organ donation, Cleanliness, Ambassador car, Save tigers,Hope,Virtues you must develop...etc.We had a nice time exploring the venue and after that we tried different tricks with panorama mode on the camera and clicked selfies.It was scorching hot so we rested awhile and then went to see the photo and art exhibits on display at the Jehangir Art Gallery.Some of the paintings on the ground floor were beyond our understanding but the photographs on display on the terrace were rally worth a look.The rest of the group bid goodbyes and left while we wanted to explore some more.We spent some time viewing the street art on display and then our hungry stomachs took us to the nearby McDonald's.
This art festival is not just about installations and stalls selling creative and novel items.There are also many cultural activities for adults and children conducted here.heritage walks,heritage bus rides,cookery shows,dance programmes,music bands,literary events,plays and talent shows.These were all scheduled throughout the art fest which lasted from 7th February to 15th February.
It is nice to see the art fest for its creativity.It's even more thrilling to see the same snapshots in the newspapers the next day.Feels great to be a part of the great art show in Mumbai which is getting more crowded each year.The crowds at the venue on the last day was to be seen to be believed.It was totally packed!!!
If you have not yet been at any Kala Ghoda Festival you are really missing something interesting.Do go there as it really brings us closer to some home truths, makes us look at creativity and culture in a new way and brings us closer to the heritage of Mumbai,our city.
Here are some of the snapshots of this years much-awaited art festival.