Would you attend a festival that celebrates ‘nothingness’? It’s not as strange as it seems. In the midst of the stress, anxiety, and trepidation that consumes us every day, a little bit of ‘nothingness’ might be exactly what you need. And this, is exactly what the Shoonya Festival delivered.
Held on the June 16-17 weekend, the festival featured workshops, camping, walks in the countryside, art and more – a blend of creativity, rest, community and fun.
Creating a festival of ‘nothingness’
The idea central to the festival was dreamed up by Anuj Agarwal and a team of entrepreneurs and nature enthusiasts who wanted to offer a different type of festival experience. And so, they planned for an event in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh that would serve as a way to celebrate ‘nothingness’ and reach a state of ‘mindfulness’.
“Project Shoonya is a celebration of nothingness where people gather to achieve Shoonyata –a state where the chaos ends, and joy begins,” explains Agarwal “ At Shoonya, one can live in the mountains and woods, away from the hullabaloo of a routine lifestyle. It’s a celebration of life.”
Music, art and creativity workshops
The festival featured musicians including Tritha Sinha, the driving force behind the New Delhi- and Paris-based band Tritha Electric, Gaurav Guleria, a singer and composer based out of Dharamshala, and musicians Sumit Singh and Shreya Sharma.
Filling our souls at Shoonya
Posted by Shoonya on Sunday, 17 June 2018
There were also a blend of artists including Mayank Agarwal, a mandala artist, and Manu Chandak who led a fun drum circle at the event, as well as workshops and activities such as Zumba led by Jyotsna Arora.
Drumming at Shoonya!
Posted by Shoonya on Sunday, 17 June 2018
Alternative entertainment by Letter Earthling
Another charming activity was ‘Letter Earthling’ organised by The Goodwill Tribe which focused entirely on embracing human connection away from distracting technology and gadgets. As the name suggests, travellers were invited to take a break from their digital dependence, and reach out to loved ones old-school style.
Our first Letter Earthlings in Himalayas with Shoonya!
Posted by The Goodwill Tribe on Sunday, 17 June 2018
Good people, good times
“Shoonya was quite an unexpected event,” Sagar Agrawal, COO of HippoCabs told us. “The people, vibe, activities, facilitators, music, nights, treks and the entire space was created for everyone to feel their own souls and reflect on their own lives.”
You can find more information on Project Shoonya on their website and on Facebook.
Written by Vaishali Parnami
Image credit: Project Shoonya
