ABOUT ART FESTIVAL

HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR

Situated on the banks of the Panchganga River, Kolhapur is prominently known for its uniquely handcrafted Kolhapuri chappals, traditional Saaj jewelry, power-packed ‘lavangi mirchi’ and mouthwatering jaggery.
Being a massive part of one of the oldest civilisations of India, Kolhapur’s culture and traditions can be traced back to the 17 th century. Kolhapur was also a significant Buddhist destination in the 6th century and housed the Maha-Stupas.
The city proudly calls itself ‘Dakshin Kashi’ for immense spiritual importance.
People mostly visit Kolhapur to pay obedience at the famous Mahalaxmi Temple and marvel at the Royal Palace of the Great Lokraja Shahu Maharaj.
However, there is so much more to Kolhapur beyond the lip-smacking food, shrines, chappals, jaggery and chili powder.

ART HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR

Kolhapur known as ‘Kalapur’ – the city of arts. Apart from bearing royal roots and hosting famous temples as attraction for devotees, the tribal culture, paintings and sculptures that surround the region, as well as local artists, musicians and craftsmen that lie hidden from mainstream media are all worth a visit.

Stalwarts who changed the face of art culture in Kolhapur Kolhapur boasts of renowned artists from yester years such as Baburao Painter , Abalal Rehman, Dattoba Dalvi, V. Shantaram, Bhalji Pendharkar,Baburao Pendharkar, G. Wadangekar, Baba Gajbar and Jaisinghrao Dalvi, to name a few.

WHY “KALABDHI”

In an era of digital age that has captivated eager interests of the youth, have we somehow forgotten our culture and heritage?

The local artists, craftsmen and sculptors from Kolhapur are hidden gems that have studied and honed their skills from generations. Should the artistic culture become obsolete and rest in peace as bare words in the pages of some book only because we are ignorant of its existence? The sheer amount of artistic diversity present in Kolhapur has always been overshadowed by its popular identity of taleem kushti, chappals and royalty. Let’s take a deep dive into knowing our city a little bit more…

ABOUT “KALABDHI”

Culture is what binds and defines us. Kolhapur, in all its grandeur has an immense potential of the arts. However, in the rush of everyday life, this binding factor is often neglected and kept on the sidelines.

Mainstream media often decides the attractions of a certain area, but subtle nuances of a region like the language, tradition and heritage don’t get the spotlight. Let the creative juices flow in a Competitive Environment.. WInspire wants to alter this trend and shift the focus slightly. In our quest to preserve the best of our city’s heritage, we have planned “Kalabdhi”, an art festival full of enthusiasm, talent and competitive spirit. This initiative is aimed at highlighting every aspect of Kolhapur’s heritage and allowing visitors to a multitude of cultural flavors to choose from. Be it workshops, performances or art displays, “Kalabdhi” festival has it all!

Become aware of the local art, heritage and culture.. For the promotion of preserving and nurturing these art forms, WInspire wants to provide a platform to perform and display the uniqueness and talent of the local artists. WInspire believes that Kolhapur is brimming with artistic talent and it was time we celebrated the heritage art and provide a platform to display it to the masses on a grand platform.

OUR MENTOR

This festival wouldn’t be possible without the guidance and support of our mentor, respected artist Ajey Dalvi (G.D. Art, MFA). His family’s legacy lies in Dalvis Art Institute, the most prominent art institute one of the most in the pre-independence period. A connoisseur of art from early days, Mr. Ajey is a teacher of Dalvi’s Art Institute , Vice President at the Kolhapur Art Foundation and President at rangbahar foundation Kolhapur.

Exhibitions:

Joint show at Nehru centre Art gallery Mumbai, Jan 2009
Joint show Army Navy Art entrance gallery Mumbai, May 2011
Group show Museum Art gallery Mumbai, July 2011
Group show Museum Art gallery Mumbai, October 2011
Joint show at Nehru centre Art gallery Mumbai, November 2016

WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT FROM “KALABDHI”?

Kalabdhi art festival is our initiative for a holistic approach to promulgate multi-faceted regional talent to the public realm. The sheer diversity of artistry in Kolhapur deserves a platform that honors and nurtures its cultures and traditions. We found that preexisting initiatives often lack or completely neglect the idea of promoting competitions and events that uphold cultural diversity and award local talent. Therefore, we decided that a weekend revolving around locally sourced art, crafts, sculptures and workshops is just what this city needs to spark its artistic fervour.

The need for the youth to be involved in preserving the culture and heritage is of prime importance to us and therefore we focused on making this festival vibrant and cheerful, something that aptly reflects youthful sentiment and charisma. We actively want the local youth to participate in this festival and develop their talents and hobbies or even pick up new ones. And since we are offering a variety of options to choose from, it is all the more reason to get the kids along.

Along with promoting diversity and art, Kalabdhi festival also promotes an eco-friendly and sustainable future where such cultures and traditions keep on prospering while co existing with the ecosystem. We, through our efforts to change the social landscape around the region have focused on taking care of the environment around us. Be it the famous Warli Paintings or sculptures and designs that please our senses, artists draw immense inspiration from nature and therefore at Kalabdhi art festival we do our best to raise awareness and take a small step towards helping preserve it.

ATTRACTION

Artists will be privy to use the canvas where their imaginations and creativity can come alive in competitive spirit.
competitions with exciting prizes.
Demonstration of regional art.
Spectacular display of installations, exhibitions, paintings, competitions, photography seminars, plays and much more from the creative palate.
Artisans and artists from & around the city to showcase their talent in a productive environment.