The Secret Garden Weekend showed blips of promise on The Sherp’s sensory radar. Let’s take you through our experience down the rabbit hole!
The Secret Garden Weekend (TSGW) refused to call itself a music festival, though complete with 3 stages and ‘diverse’ artists and genres. But what they did reveal, was the intention to awaken our senses (sound, sight, smell, taste, touch), and celebrate life away from our actual mundane ones. The spell was bound! Besides, Nh7 Weekender dates fall end year and we couldn’t get ourselves to hold out. So armed with a checklist; we went to see about our five senses being awakened.
This first-time festival’s eagerness to please was apparent from the fantastic build-up from the young organisers Varshá Krishnani and Monish Rohra. We foresaw a hippy campsite that kept our imaginations dancing around bonfires till the dates of 7th & 8th of July! The venue, Irish Village Lawns in Koregaon Park, Pune, held the non-elusive garden gates ajar for the Alice of tales. Though just a brewery with a large backyard, the Irish Village beats right in the heart of the city, and getting there is no well-kept secret.
Now let’s talk some sense (s) here. Strapping on our bath-friendly entry bands and tucking in our program maps, The Sherp was now fully accessorised and ready for the revelation of The Secret Garden truths ─ fairies, elves, et all!
Though not as fantastical as expected, the little details that bore proud attention to were some of our favourite things: A colourful cocoon-like enclosure, housed hoola hoops. A tent/labyrinth (Road of Thought) was not to trap you in, but a nice respite for your closet-selfie to come out and play in the piles of confetti! We loved the smattering of hammocks for the lazy life, and the psychedelic cut-outs of cloth separating our upward gazes from the harsh sun. Alas, we regretted not grabbing one of the on-site Garden Huts complete with a table for ten and much-needed shade ─ those sold out a week before.
A lager, ale, and the usual fare met us at the bar like old comrades. We would’ve liked barrels and magic potions for what it’s worth though! Good enough the lines weren’t as tough as they looked, and no obstacle course to the portable loos either. Above all, our grumbling appetites encountered some delicious biryani, falafel rolls and satisfyingly fat fries on the way.
Our grouch was simple. The unrelenting heat! We also missed that feeling of exploration in the space we were given, and then stood reminded to scratch out music fest from our expectations. The grass is always greener right?
To smell is to take in, and we took in a lot over two days. The sit-back-and-enjoy entertainment ranged from a hypnotic fire juggler clad as a sexy belly dancer, to hoola hoopers, tightrope walkers, fire walkers, and bringing Brazil to us ── the Capoeira performers! Everyone had their role to play in this little community.
Diverse artists, genres and workshops were promised over two days, but we didn’t keep track, just followed the sweet strains flitting about the stages Ithaca, Gulmarg and Zeitgeist. Anushka Shahaney belted some stunning vocals in the inner sanctum (or Ithaca stage) that rung operatic!
The lulling vocals of Christabel Menezes and her sweet Abba cover, was our spirit guide for a lazy afternoon.
Sunday at The Secret Garden Weekend, shared the sheer brilliance of coming together, and was the highlight of the two days. Whacked visuals by Pixtron set the stage alive, an L.E.D performance found us gaping. Though there was a lot of forced chatter through delays and glitches (expected for a first-time festival), our sense of ‘sound’ purred by e.o.d.
AK Vinagreta (incidentally the sister of organiser Varsha Krishnani) brought everyone to their feet with her enchanting beats at the main stage Zeitgeist, assisted by the quicksilver hands of Tarang. Other crazy good sets, helmed by Qwiver, DJ ARSH, Oozuendat and Designer Hippies, gave the finale a feeling of mass lift-off!
Holi came twice this year with the promised Colour Battle (we were warned). Colour rained down in a rani pink shower courtesy massive party poppers erupting like land mines. The Sherp now had a natural filter for pictures!
Inside out, the party went on to 12 on both days, which is just what the doctor ordered. But we finally had to face the parking lot and the journey home for those of us who had to make it to Monday intact. We left The Secret Garden Weekend looking like someone raised Holi hell (true story), past a group of party people holding us to a limbo. What an evening! As for our senses, we can’t say it was holistic healing, but they were definitely left tingling with the raw energy of the last few insane hours. In conclusion, it would be unfair to compare The Secret Garden Weekend to any pre-existing fests and pile them all up in one boat. But any initiative to create a healthy, interactive environment for revellers is always well enthused! TSGW was an honest-to-goodness effort at a festival of immersive powers, but we still wonder what’s in store on the other side, when we crossover to year two… if there is a year two.
Pictures Courtesy : The Secret Garden Weekend