Romancing baarish with sounds, art & food

Time of India

4 hours ago

To invoke the gods of rain and welcome the monsoon, a sonic and artsy experience unfolded in the precinct of the Travancore Palace recently. Curated by India Cultural Hub and Excurators, Baarish was a cultural experience that unlayered how the monsoon is a mnemonic of a range of emotions depicted in Indian art and music and also influences food cultures across the country.
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Tabla and santoor jugalbandhi by Pt Lalit Kumar and Kumar Sarang
Soaking in the soundscape
The ambient sounds of the pitter-patter of the rain were overtaken by a jugalbandhi performance by Lalit Kumar on the tabla, Kumar Sarang on the santoor, Ashim Bery playing the hand pan, and Anant Raina playing the Australian instrument didgeridoo, setting the mood for monsoon.
Symphony of Rain: Ashim Bery playing the hand pan and Anant Raina playing the didgeridoo
Of passion, longing & liminality: Monsoon in Indian art
Indian art has long portrayed the monsoon as a symbol of passion, longing and also liminality, a state of being. During his talk titled Moods of Megh, art historian and storyteller Eric Chopra unpacked the many facets of monsoon, as imagined in medieval artworks like Abhisarika Nayika, Madhu Madhavi Ragini and Manaku's pahadi painting of Hiranyagarbha.
Eric Chopra of itihāsology explored how medieval Indian paintings captured magic of the monsoon
'Indian art has always invoked divine strength, but with sensitivity, gentleness and the lyricism of everyday life. Between the 16th and the 19th century, artists belonging to the Pahadi, Mughal and Rajasthani schools of art personified how the ragas would look. For instance, Madhu Madhavi Ragini personified Raag Malhar, and her image, surrounded by peacocks and clouds, was a visual metaphor for longing," he mentioned.
A living moodboard of memories
'Baarish was born from a deeply nostalgic space for me,' said Suhavini Singh, founder of India Cultural Hub and co-curator of the festival. "Growing up, the monsoon was always more than just a season — it was a feeling. There was a romance to it, a softness. I wanted to recreate that, but not in a clichéd or overly curated way. I envisioned Baarish as a living moodboard of memories and emotions. Bringing together art, music, and food felt organic because that's how we experience the monsoon — through senses and stories, not in isolation," she added.
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Meet the curators: Minhal Hasan, Suhavini Singh and Rohan Singh
Rohan Singh, creative producer at Excurators, said, 'An unseasonal rain in the middle of summer inspired us to celebrate the monsoons in Delhi, which is usually a lull period in the city. We decided to offer an episodic, immersive celebration to the city- firstly, welcoming the rains, then the season of the downpour, and eventually bidding goodbye to the rains.'
Created for this experience by W.I.P Labs & Excurators, the Baarish Ensemble blends diverse traditions into a unique musical response to the monsoon
The finale performance was yet another layering of sonic folk traditions by The Baarish Ensemble, curated by WIP Labs and Excurators, along with folk singer Mooralala Marwada.
The fusion renditions prompted the audience to sway, clap and sing along, as the artistes finished their set with Duma Dum Mast Kalandar.
Featuring the powerful voice of Mooralala Marwada, the Baarish ensemble reinterpreted his folk-rooted music
The audience swayed to the fusion of folk beats and contemporary sounds
A sawan spread to remember
From crispy sabudana fritters paired perfectly with adrak wali masala chai to palak patta chaat and ram laddoo served with khubani ka sharbat and aam panna, Cafe Lota's snack table was laid with food that celebrated the Indian monsoon.
Cafe Lota's snack table was laid with food that celebrated the Indian monsoon.
With the feast, which included dishes like the Nepali jhol momos, sekuwa, Kerala prawn fry and Himachali steamed trout, the gathering immersed itself in the magic of the rains. The sawan-special spread also included the rabri and dry fruit-laden ghewar.
Echoes Before Rain: A walkway, designed using sensor-based audio and reactive lighting, mapped the body's movement through space. It was conceptualised and created by W.I.P Labs
Pics: Lokesh Kashyap