Mehrangarh Fort gets ready to host another edition of Jodhpur RIFF

The Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur
| Photo Credit: Courtesy: RIFF

As the moon shines bright on Sharad Purnima, the five-century-old magnificent Mehrangarh fort gets ready to host musicians from across the globe. During the five-day Jodhpur RIFF festival (October 16 to 20), the sprawling historical structure turns into a performance arena.

Into its 17th year, the festival stands out for turning the spotlight on Rajasthan’s folk artistes. Over the years, the festival’s director Divya Bhatia has been working to create an inclusive setting, where unsung artistes from remote desert villages get to share the stage with well-known international musicians.

Divya Bhatia has made RIFF celebrate music beyond divides
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

This year’s line up will once again celebrate musical genres and creative collaborations.

Some of the highlights of the 2024 edition includes performances by electronic musician Eric Mouquet; Guru-sishya ghatam gharana by Sukanya Ramgopal, Giridhar Udupa and Shreeharsha; master of Sindhi sarangi Meherdeen Khan Langa, singer Sona Mohapatra; Gabba: Tales from a yoiker (one of Europe’s oldest song traditions); Barnali Chattopadhyay’s ode to Amir Khusrau; five women folk artistes; Kapila Venu’s Shaiva Koothu and Manganiyars of Marwar.

Dawn concerts at Jaswant Thada
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy: RIFF

The performances, which happen at spaces in and around the fort, offer the audience a peek into the past. But RIFF’s midnight concerts at the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, created in 2006 to restore the ecology of the rocky wasteland, and the early morning concerts at Jaswant Thada, a stunning memorial in marble, lets one experience the magic of Marwar.