A Celebration of Culture on the Move
KOCHI: “When you are alone, call it tranquility or freedom, and when you’re with many, call it not a crowd but a festival,” goes a Stoic thought. This sentiment resonates deeply with Kalki, a passionate festival volunteer and student of Mass Communication. For Kalki, whose real name is Adarsh Murugan, creating a space where all walks of life are celebrated is the essence of a festival. Now, at 22, he is spearheading Kerala’s first roving cultural festival, Enroot.
The Vision of Enroot
Enroot is inspired by the idea of capturing and celebrating the diverse cultural impressions of different regions. The festival will make its debut in Thiruvananthapuram on July 13 and 14, with subsequent sessions planned for Kovalam, Varkala, and Ponmudi. “We conceptualized it as a roving festival,” says Kalki. “After Thiruvananthapuram, we aim to take it to Kochi, Kozhikode, and other places where the concept of festivals might still be emerging.”
Breaking the Pattern
Gatha Satheesh, Kalki’s colleague and co-founder of the festival, explains their mission. “Thiruvananthapuram has hosted several festivals, mostly government-run, but they all followed a pattern. We wanted to break this pattern. Through our pre-sessions and monthly ‘Over-the-Cup’ meets, we reached out to community groups and found a need for a new kind of celebratory space.”
A Festival for the Senses
The Thiruvananthapuram session of Enroot is designed to cater to the five senses of culture enthusiasts. The festival is divided into various sensory zones: Visual, Sound, Artist Alley, Taste and Smell, Activity, and Main Stage.
The Visual and Sound sections will feature presentations that appeal to their respective senses, reflecting Thiruvananthapuram’s unique cultural identity. The Artist Alley will showcase local talents, such as a traditional archery group from Nedumangad.
Taste and Smell will focus exclusively on regional cuisine, while Activity and Main Stage will offer a range of experiences, including gaming, poetry sessions, and performances by artists like Sachin Warrier and the band Jam of Coast. There will also be talk sessions featuring personalities like Aju Varghese.
A Festival on the Move
Enroot is not just a stationary event; it is a traveling celebration. “It is more about taking the festival to the region than asking people to congregate at a single area,” says Gatha. The festival’s logo, an origami Siberian crane, symbolizes this journey, as it reflects the festival’s aim to capture and share cultural experiences across different venues.
Tailored Experiences
As Enroot moves from one location to another, each session will be unique. “Our session in Thiruvananthapuram will be different from Ponmudi, where we focus on nature and adventure, and from Kovalam and Varkala, where the sea and coastal life will inspire the events,” Gatha explains.
Collaborative Efforts
The festival team collaborates with local communities to create experiences tailored to each region. “No two fests will be the same package, except probably the managing team,” says Gatha.
A Journey of Innovation
Kalki and his team are a group of young professionals with experience in various festival roles. “It took us four years to dream of such a festival and eight months to put it into action,” says Kalki. “This journey has been a unique experience, and we are committed to bringing as much celebration into Kerala’s cultural space as possible, reflecting the tastes and traditions of the land and its people.”
Enroot promises to be a dynamic and evolving celebration, capturing the essence of Kerala’s diverse cultural landscape.