It’s hard to say what kind of architectural remnant from the past is the most penetrating preacher of history. The idea of latching on to their stories to link our present to them, and the historical gamut of our past is so intertwined that people constantly revisit these monuments to make sense of our shared existence. Crraft of Art’s (COA) annual Water Festival is an event that highlights the importance of that juxtaposition. “We are taking monuments to the people, but creatively. This time, it is Dada Harir Vav,” says Birwa Qureshi, founder and artistic director at COA. The musical treat that will be streamed online this weekend will be sans a live audience for the second time in a row. “Although places have opened up, we are still recovering from the pandemic and so, we shot the live concert,” Qureshi shares. With the elaborate corridors and steps of the vav (a stepwell) in the background, the pre-recorded event will showcase two sets of performances by artistes Shubha Mudgal, Ustad Fazal Qureshi and Khete Khan, among others.

Fazal Qureshi