Enjoy the festive energy of Margazhi at this 2-day music event in Mumbai

For many years this writer was subject to being woken up in the wee morning hours of December and January to be part of temple visits to Chembur or Matunga It was a fixed family ritual for generations of Tamilians in the city who miss the vibe of the season that is popularly known as Margazhi ldquoIt is a whole other phenomenon in Chennairdquo shares Mahesh Babu founder Banyan Tree Entertainment that is seeking to recreate the festival vibes in the city with their Margazhi Music Mahotsavam which starts this weekendMahesh BabuldquoThe idea is to make the seasonrsquos experience accessible to Mumbaikars It is a beautiful season that combines faith culture food and community We hope to recreate that in the cityrdquo Babu shares The twodaylong series of music concerts will bring together the talents of experienced performers like nadaswaram vidwan Yalppanam PS Balamurugan GaneshKumaresh U Rajesh and lecture demonstration by Sriram Parasuram among many othersVocalist Sudha Raghunathan is more than familiar with the buzz and fervour that envelops Chennai during this month mdash including the performers ldquoFestivals happen all through the year but somewhere it has become a familiar term that singing well in Margazhi is proving your mettle and standard In one season I remember singing at 25 concertsrdquo the Padma Bhushanawardee sharesFrom left Sudha Raghunathan and GaneshKumaresh will be among the notable performers at the upcoming showcaseRaghunathan points out that Mumbai is diverse and different ldquoThe listener in Mumbai is a lot more open and attuned to different things The openness in the audience is vividly reflected in the artistes as wellrdquo she notes But there is more to the month than just music ldquoI spent over 15 years in Chennai and Hyderabad I would often do lsquosabhahoppingrsquo as they call it talking about music performers and the food always the food At times there would be arguments over the quality of filter kaapirdquo shares Babu This is one of the reasons the festival seeks to bring in the feel of delicacies from dosas to freshly brewed filter kaapi to the concertsRaghunathan agrees One of her fond memories is the dahi batata puri at Sadguru in Chembur ldquoMost concerts are in Dadar Matunga or Chembur So we would often hop down on the weekends if we were craving some delicious food I still crave it sometimesrdquo she says adding ldquoThe month of Marghazi not only brings the music together but also culture and food and practices People dress as though they are attending a wedding in their Sunday best as they say Can we replicate it in Mumbai Yes it can be done But the key is to first light a spark The culture will evolve by itselfrdquoON January 4 and 5 10 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 830 pmAT St Andrews Auditorium St Dominic Road Bandra WestLOG ON TO inbookmyshowcomCOST Rs 750 onwardsThe complete Mumbai Margazhi trailA view of the Matunga market File PicBazaar buzzFrom the crisp new veshtis and pattu pavadais frocks to the fresh flowers and vegetables Matungarsquos South Indian markets will keep you updated on the trends down SouthTIME 6 am onwardsAT Laxmi Narayan Lane Matunga CentralPatrons at the cafeacute in Kingrsquos CircleFestive bitesNo celebration is complete without a proper dosa Head over to Cafeacute Madras in Kingrsquos Circle for its fantastic podi idli and filter kaapi It is a must for any concert goerON Circle House near Maheshwari Udyan Kingrsquos Circle Matunga CentralCALL 224014419Facade of the Fanaswadi temple Pic CourtesyXTemple hoppingWith Margazhi most South Indian temples acquire a festive air with recitations of verses from Tiruppavai While Chembur and Matunga might be easy choices our pick is the Fanaswadi temple in Kalbadevi The 98year old temple will have special functions with monthlong music and recitationsAT 80 Sitaram Podar Marg Kalbadevi Marine Lines East