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Echoes Of Earth Festival - India's Greenest Festival.
Have you ever felt distraught at the sheer quantum of non-biodegradable waste generated onsite at popular music festivals?
Then how about visiting a music festival that takes immense pride in its sustainable ethos and believes in showing you how beautiful the Earth is, from the tiniest ant to the ponderous Asian elephant and how important it is to protect them? Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
Combining the joy of human excitement of attending a music festival with the pleasure of knowing that your attendance is a boon for the planet, Echoes of Earth, India’s greenest music festival, sets the benchmark that large-festival formats ought to achieve.
Designed as a ‘festival-for-all’, including children below the age of 10 – who are allowed free entry to the venue – Echoes of Earth’s upcoming first edition in Goa on February 2, 3 and 4, after six editions in Bangalore, is steeped in sustainable initiatives that highlight the importance of Goa’s rich biodiversity and the Western Ghats, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Taking place across an expansive 100-acre stretch in the forests of Chopdem, North Goa, the Echoes of Earth has ensured that there is minimal disturbance to the environment by implementing a ‘no-plastic, no-flex’ policy. Instead, handmade signages utilising junk and scrap materials will be placed throughout the site to guide attendees to various activities and venues.
“Echoes of Earth prioritises ‘circular design’, repurposing materials from prior editions to craft festival decor, epitomises a commitment to sustainability. Guests can make use of biodegradable cutlery and crockery while adhering to ‘mindful consumption’ and making use of food waste management kiosks for sustainable disposal. There will also be a flea market featuring sustainable brands. No plastic bottles are allowed on site, but there will be RO stations available for attendees to fill their reusable bottles for free. A robust waste management system will also be implemented by our long-term collaborators, HasiruDala Innovations,” said Roshan Netalkar, festival director and founder of Echoes of Earth.
Inculcating the importance of environmental conservation among the youth is one of Echoes of
Earth’s main aims. The Greener Side Zone at the festival will offer children and adults educational sessions on Goa’s biodiversity, including workshops on butterflies, bugs, geckoes and mangroves. Participants can also engage in activities like music workshops, face-painting and a guided festival walkthrough for students from surrounding areas.
The diverse music lineup features the mesmerising sounds of 40-plus international and Indian artists. Visitors can look forward to grooving to Satori, Glass Beams, Oden & Fatzo, ((( O ))) of Sundrop Garden, Garden City Movement, Space Dimension Controller, Balkan Bump, and more on the international front.
Talented Indian and Goa-based artists like Leaxan Freitas, Merak, Elvis Lobo, Dualist Inquiry, Discokid, Vairaagi and Shantam & Steffan bring their tunes to the mix. Rooted in Goa's music culture, many of these artists either hail from the region or have played a pivotal role in shaping its vibrant musical heritage.
There will be three intricately designed stages sustainably crafted with junk, scrap, bamboo, drainpipes, repurposed cloth and metal while incorporating state-of-the-art technology — ‘The Kraken’ and ‘The Big Beak’ paying homage to the Giant Pacific Octopus and Great Indian Hornbill, respectively, by artist Siddhartha Kararwal and ‘The Ghost’ honouring the Horned Ghost Crab by artist Muzamil Shairff.
A distinctive stage, the Jungle Bar, is set up in a quarry at the festival venue to showcase the surrounding natural beauty and will provide the audience with an immersive experience of the music performances.
Visitors can also look forward to seeing 20-plus sustainable and captivating art installations crafted out of upcycled junk and scrap materials by renowned artists, a few of which are the ‘YellowLipped Sea Krait’ by well-known herpetologist and artist Nirmal Kulkarni, ‘Praying Mantis’ and ‘Olive Ridley Turtles’ by artist Yadhunandan, ‘Purple Crab’ by Mechanimal, and ‘The Indian Gaur’ by artist collective AltNative.
The whole ethos of the festival is grounded in Circular Design, with assets crafted from old, discarded, and repurposed materials from prior editions, exemplifying a commitment to sustainability. Over 550kg of waste that was crowdsourced has been used across the festival, much of it being incorporated into art installations. The upcoming festival was also preceded by a wave of green initiatives that gave the Goan public an insight into the festival’s green offerings.
Echoes of Earth’s curtain-raiser event, ‘Ensemble of the Wild: An Evening of Art, Culture, Music and Meaningful Conversations Around Conservation’, provided a platform to raise awareness through art, music and panel discussions with local conservation experts about sustainable ecotourism and biodiversity conservation in Goa and the Western Ghats.
The festival’s Greener Side Campaign, which took place throughout January and recently concluded, highlighted the importance of the occasionally overlooked aspects of Goa’s diverse ecosystems, like stingless bees, dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, avifauna and mangrove forests.
The Campaign consisted of a series of eight workshops and activities facilitated by experts from the field of conservation in Goa, like herpetologist Nirmal Kulkarni, ecologist Parag Rangnekar, scientist Snigdha Sehgal, birder Mandar Bhagat, marine biologist Gabriella D’Cruz, offbeat activities organiser Khoj-aao! Adventures headed by Bipin and Pooja and former Goa Deputy Director of Agriculture Vitthal Joshi and partners from the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB).
“We are extremely supportive of this collaboration with people and partners who take the conversation on conservation besides environmental activists, like Echoes of Earth, as conservation takes place through awareness. When the public is aware and cares, that is when change happens,” said Bhagat, founder and former president of the Goa Bird Conservation Network.
In celebration of National Tourism Day, Echoes of Earth partnered with Goa Tourism and BLive Tours to host an e-biking tour of Divar Island to promote regenerative tourism and explore Goa beyond its beaches.
“Exploring Diwar through e-biking provides a refreshing perspective on tourism. It enabled us to connect with nature and embrace the vibrant Goan culture. Riding past picturesque Portuguese houses and engaging with the warmth of the villagers truly amplifies our appreciation for the diverse essence of Goa beyond its famed beaches,” said a Goa Tourism spokesperson.
Hence, Echoes of Earth sets the bar for implementing sustainability coupled with conservation in large-format festivals both across the country and worldwide.
“Our purpose extends beyond organising a festival. It's a joint effort towards environmental awareness, fostering responsible tourism and resource conservation. We believe that, together with our partners, like the Goa Tourism Board, Goa State Biodiversity Board and WWF-India, we can make a meaningful difference and inspire positive action for the community and the environment in Goa,” concluded Netalkar.
