MUMBAI: The first edition of the open-air, three day gathering of creatives and community, Magnetic Fields Nomads was held at the palatial Nahargarh Ranthambore while strictly adhering to health and safety protocols outlined by the Rajasthan government.

All attendees and crew were allowed on to the site only when negative RT-PCR tests were furnished. Ticket holders who didn’t submit a test taken within 48 hours of March 19 were not allowed entry.

Conceptualised by the same team behind Magnetic Fields Festival in Alsisar, Magnetic Fields Nomads was an experiment in introducing a new kind of festival experience, intimate and to be savoured at a slower pace.

One of the highlights of the three-day event was Chef’s Table, specially curated, limited seating meals with two of Delhi’s most exciting chefs – Jatin Mallick, chef and co-founder at global contemporary cuisine restaurant Tres, and sustainability advocate and Fig & Maple founder and chef Radhika Khandelwal, who is well known for her root-to-shoot cooking.

Each chef created a four-course meal inspired by Rajasthan’s colours and cuisine, like chef Mallick’s first course of seasonal charred vegetables, burnt cream, fresh orange, khichiapapadum, okra kimchi and chef Khandelwal’s creation of sous vide lamb cooked with poppy, pumpkin and melon seeds with milk served withpotatoes, karonda and kachori crisp.

Pop-up cocktail bars through the weekend – The Prohibition Party by PCO and the Monkey 47 cocktail bar – proved to be a hit with the revellers as did the farm fresh food by The Prodigal Farms.

Wellness was one of the central themes of Magnetic Fields Nomads, and

Magnetic Sanctuary – curated by VITALITY HOURS, a community of self-care and wellness seekers – offered attendees wellness activities over Saturday and Sunday.

Morning workshops started at 8 am in the morning and ranged from Kundalini yoga and sleep meditation with Shalini Sarena, positive affirmations and crystal therapy with energy alchemist Alisha Berry, sessions with somatic movement therapist Avantika Kochar and mudra meditation and biohacking with certified yoga teacher and nutritionist Nikhil Bhushan.The Elixir Bar by Bhu Kombucha provided attendees an endless supply of crafted juices, tonics, smoothies and kombucha, and much needed respite from the blinding sun and heat.

Soundtracking the weekend were the five stages at Nahargarh – Easy Picnic, Ray-Ban Studios Pool Party, Jameson Sundowner, The Peacock Club and Ray-Ban Studios Den – that offered diverse sounds at different times of the day and night.

Grooves from around the world on vinyl were the focus at Lazy Picnic, via selectors Zag Erlat, DJ MoCity and Digging in India, in the food garden while disco and house were on play at the poolside party. The sundowner stage in the tree-lined Bagichi – possibly the prettiest stage – played host to extended sets from the likes of Kaleekarma, Girls Night Out, Unnayanaa, Murthovic, Sindhi Curry and Kohra through the weekend.

The Peacock Club travelled from the desert of Alsisar to lush Ranthambore and hosted acts new and old, exciting and popular. Bangalore-based Nepali band Gauley Bhai won scores of new fans alongside Noni-Mouse and Karshniwho were also making their Magnetic Fields debut. Festival favourites Peter Cat Recording Co, Lifafa and Begum were festival highlights for some as were Arushi’s and Sahil Vasudeva’s live set.

The Den – inspired by the jungle – is where DJs held sway with surprise guests MadStarBase on Friday to a long B2B set by Shireen and Chhabbon Saturday and ended with energetic sets by NASH and Spacejams.

The treasure hunt – one of the oldest and most distinct features at Magnetic Fields – also popped up at Nahargarh, and 15 teams vied for the grand prize of a 3-person Bedouin tent for the December-scheduled Magnetic Fields in Alsisar.