 October 2-3, 2010
The once sleepy hamlet of Dahanu is now a thriving coastal town, most famous for its chikoo orchards that fill the air with sweet, ripe aromas at harvest hour. Dahanu houses a substantial tribal population that is skilled in Warli art, a form that uses rice paste to spawn elaborate sceneries in the form of multiple dots, dashes and triangular shapes. There is a sizeable Zoroastrian population that has affected the milieu of Dahanu, in a most positive manner.
Over the years, the ecology of Dahanu has degraded significantly, partly due to the Reliance power plant that has severely affected farmlands and coastal produce. Sections of the once sparkling coastline are now littered with tourist scrap, that is nothing short of an eyesore.
A few Dahanuites, in conjunction with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Dahanu chapter are organising the Discover Dahanu Festival, 2010, an extravaganza of sporting and cultural activities, to display and conserve the heritage and natural resources of Dahanu. The idea originated two months ago, amidst casual conversations between friends and organically grew into a well-rounded festival.
Law student Natasha Zarine, an ardent Dahanuite, who moved to Bombay for higher education, is a lover of nature and spends several weekends in her hometown. She reminisces, “Dahanu is associated with chickoo plantations, the coast and Warli art, but there are hills, forests, glades and waterfalls that are pristine and off the radar.” Having volunteered on projects in the Andamans, Natasha hopes to spread awareness about local waste-management issues through the cultural festival. She pioneered the idea of the amazing rickshaw race that will span over 40 kilometres of Dahanu terrain.
Phiroza Tafti, an ex-Cathedralite and Xavierite, moved to Dahanu post-marriage, 32 years ago. She is a mountaineer, an environmental activist and has been a girl-guide leader for the last three decades. Through her workshops with children, she has created a taste for Dahanu’s local arts: pottery, warli art and basket weaving. Phiroza will conduct a nature trail on Saturday, demonstrating the web of life in its floral and faunal glory.
Amit Agarwal, one of the organisers, sums it up: “I was born in Dahanu, brought up in Dahanu, and if I have my way, hope to die in Dahanu.”
Karen Menezes
ITINERARY
Dahanu is a two hour train journey away from Mumbai. You can drive down the NH8 Highway as well.
SATURDAY, 2ND OCTOBER, 2010
• Nature Trail: Local experts will take you on a guided walk through an ecological ‘hotspot’ area. There will be small games and mind-teasers with chances of winning locally made prizes.
Timing: 10 am
Cost: Rs. 25/person
Venue: Nav Talau
• Kite Show: International designer and kite flyer Ashok Shah will fly beautiful, exotic kites on the beach. He will conduct a workshop at the evening mela as well.
Timing: 3.30 pm
Cost: Free for all
Venue: The beach
• Envirun 2010: An endeavour to save the environment. Run along the beach for 4 kilometres and show your support for the ‘No Plastic, No Littering’ campaign. Locals and school children from Dahanu will clean up the beach prior to the run. The first three to finish the race will get a unique Dahanu flavored hamper and the winner will get an exclusive and fabulous surprise – a flight in Dr. Behramshah Mazda's microlight glider!
Timing: 4.30 pm
Cost: Rs. 50/person
Venue: The beach
• Mela: Visit stalls displaying artifacts made by local artisans, try your hand at the workshops for warli painting, basket weaving and pottery or simply gorge on local snacks. The USP of the mela is the ‘Snake Information Workshop’ – watch experts handle live snakes and give you the lowdown on the serpent kind.
Timing: 4 pm – 9 pm
Cost: Rs. 10/person
Venue: Lions Club Recreation Park
• Camp-Fire Nite: A Saturday night party of a different kind! Witness an enchanting Warli Tadpa Dance display by local tribal dancers and join in the celebration with live folk music. Warm your bellies with BBQ snacks as the fire warms your face. Participate in numerous impromptu games and activities, an award ceremony spoof and other exciting, fun activities!
Timing: 8.30 pm – 10.30 pm
Cost: Rs. 50/person
Venue: The beach
Eligibility: All are welcome. However, there is a limited number of entries.
SUNDAY, 3RD OCTOBER, 2010
• The Amazing Discover Dahanu Race (2nd edition): Teams of three will be assigned one rickshaw as their mode of transport. Each team gets a crossword at the flag off, which on solving, provides them with the first clue. Each clue leads them to the next stop, where they must perform a task efficiently to obtain the next clue. The team who reaches the finish line first, wins!
Timing: 8.30 am – 12.30 pm
Entry Fee: Rs. 750/team
Venue: All over Dahanu Taluka! The meeting point is Lions Club Recreation Park.
Eligibility: Teams of three; each participant must be above the age of 18 yrs. Teams are limited to 12, so hurry! The participation fees include the rickshaw fare for the entire round trip of 30 – 40 km with all the 8 pit stops.
To sign up for the festival, avail of budget accommodation or further queries, contact Amit Agarwal (98228 72499), Sumeet Chhabra (91584 48433), Sanjay Adhiya (92263 74935), Phiroza Tafti (98227 78207).
Image courtesy Amit Agarwal
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