My last visit to the Mahindra Kabira Festival in 2023 was, as always, awash with glimmering waters, sunshine on a misty morning, sickly sweet lemon tea, held shakily as I trudged through crowds into the rocky riverbank, rhythms of percussion, the timbre of folk, strains of Indian classical - but what made last year stand out for me – was Paresh Maity’s art.
 

When I think of a maverick figure in Indian art, I think Paresh Maity. An adventurous and experimental artist, he has explored all mediums, be it oils and watercolours in striking colours and contours, mixed media, installations, sculptures, photography, and even cinema.
 

While I know he has worked on many destinations in India as well as created astounding pieces for London, Venice, China and Japan, this was the first time I saw the master artist live at work - industrious and unobtrusive - as he painted on a giant canvas that slowly brought Varanasi to life, in silhouettes and brushstrokes, on a bustling ghat - as a grand musical tribute to Kabir unfolded next to him.
 

At an exhibition in Delhi’s Bikaner House, an entire floor was reserved for his Varanasi series. I remember having seen the displays there in awe, and wasn’t surprised when I heard that Maity has travelled to the holy city ‘hundreds of times’ in the last 37 years.
 

At Mahindra Kabira 2023, I stood reverentially back, as I saw his canvas take shape – crumbling edifices of temples, the overpowering presence of the Ganga, the boats trawling her chest – the painting was in all black – this was starkly different from the 45-feet ‘Nirvana’, another of his depictions of Varanasi, exhibited in Delhi, in which earthen lamps light up the steps of the ghats, the temples are radiant in a shade of crimson and a solitary boat reposes in a corner.
 

Mahindra Kabira has made a pioneering effort to put a spin in their offerings by bringing in art that is powerful, different and imaginative. As we prepare for the 2024 edition of the Mahindra Kabira Festival – a truly one-of-a-kind experience of music, philosophy, heritage, sights, sounds, food and camaraderie – I look with anticipation at the live art installation planned for this year. This year’s art piece will be created by the Aravani Art Project, a truly unique collective led by trans & cis women, focused on reclaiming spaces through art initiatives. The collective has previously collaborated with Soho House Mumbai to design murals on a Juhu beach wall, symbolising the local community and raising awareness about sustainability. At the National Law School in Bengaluru, they have created a wall painting on ‘Equality and Pride’ and envisioned several similar impactful projects across India.
 

While I pack my bag of Banarasis soon for Mahindra Kabira 2024, I hope you have planned well for your trip! Art, music, history are too potent a combination to not be at your resplendent best!