The Quaint Musafir Café In Bir Serves Music, Food And Fun

Once an engineering student, Gaurav Kushwaha had sensed in his second year of college that a nine-to-five job was not his cup of tea. After briefly working at a start-up, Kushwaha joined a backpackers' hostel in 2014. Working there ignited his passion for travel. The traveller soon became an entrepreneur and opened Musafir Café in 2017.

Tucked away near the landing site in Himachal Pradesh's Bir, the cafe is among the most frequented tourist hotspots.

From what started as a mere cafe, Musafir is now synonymous with music and independent artists. It found a new identity in Musicathon, a renowned music festival in Bir. With just two artists and ten attendees, Musicathon saw its first edition in 2019, and today, it is one of the most popular events in Bir. Kushwaha's passion and innovation have made this festival a melting pot of music, travel, food and fun. The popular event marked its 10th edition this year.

Living In The Moment Versus 'Insta Reels'

Besides Musicathon, Musafir Cafe's picturesque location draws travellers. With thatched huts and bamboo chairs, the lush green setting makes for Instagram-worthy snaps. Patrons, including travel influencers, are seen making the most of the location for their next reel. However, the surge in reels for social media validation is dimming the essence of journey experiences.

"Travel influencing is good as long as it is informative. But making a travel journey only about social media posts kills its purpose. One must not deprive themselves of the moments and experiences while travelling," said Kushwaha.

Sustainability At Musafir

Musafir Café ensures that it reduces its plastic consumption as much as possible. It doesn't sell anything related to plastic packaging, including water bottles, chips, cold drinks etc. "Even at Musicathon, we avoid selling packed food but we cannot stop them from bringing snacks or packed food." Gaurav reiterated the cafe's minimal plastic policy, underlining that plastic consumption can be reduced, not eliminated.

The Way Forward

Kushwaha plans to take the festival pan India and has already launched Musicathon's mini-editions in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. "After a successful stint in three cities, we plan to take Musicathon to Jaipur," he added.

Despite its popularity, Musicathon needs help with sponsorship. "Ticket sales have helped us organise all our events, but we cannot be entirely dependent on them. We need sponsors," said Kushwaha. The mini-editions in different parts of the country are a way to leave Musicathon's imprints, garner sponsors and help emerging artists.

On the personal front, Kushwaha has travelled to 21 states to see the sunsets and hopes to cover the remaining states soon. He will soon jet off to an offbeat side of Bali, followed by Vietnam. These journeys will also mark his first international travels.