Festivals Ahoy

Start the year on a high note. There’s music in the air anyway, with traditional festivals across the country celebrating the festive season and good weather. But if you’re on the hunt for something different, try these two. Taalbelia is a four-day-long extravaganza being held in Rajasthan’s heritage-rich region, Shekhawati. For 70 hours straight, the lovely Castle Mandawa and its sister concern, the spectacular Desert Resort, will echo with the strains of everything from traditional Shekhawati music to electronic dance beats. The two venues will feature three different stages for contemporary, classical and folk music. Also on offer at the multi-format festival are arts and crafts, workshops, safaris, adventure activities, parties—basically everything that adds up to a great time. Begins 4pm on January 26, ends 2pm on January 29 (taalbelia.com). Just as Taalbelia is easily accessible for folks from Delhi, Mumbaikars have the attraction of the Naariyal Paani music festival. The two-day festival is back for its third edition and will take place by the sea in Alibaug, Maharashtra. Both Indian and international artists will perform at this chilled-out affair, made cooler by some fine beer (January 21–22; nariyal-paani.com). And finally, there’s the popular musical and gourmet extravaganza SulaFest held at Sula Vineyards, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year (February 3–5 in Nashik; sulafest.net).