Page 48 - Seniors Today - Oct 2019
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a backdrop, and a popular skinny-dipping
destination.
The organisers had expected 50,000 people at
the most. Almost half a million turned up. Rain
made the ground muddy and slushy and most
of the roads around were clogged with traffic.
Artistes had to be flown in.
The field where the Woodstock Music Festival was held
First-hand experience later, we entered into chaos and beauty, the
Prakash Ullal had gone to USA for his Master’s Woodstock Music Festival.
degree, having graduated from IIT Bombay “We reached Woodstock around 7 in the
in 1966. Here is what he remembers about his evening. There were no counters for tickets
experience of Woodstock. and no gates for entry. On the loudspeakers,
“Sometime in July 1969, we learnt about a announcements were being made that the
Folk-Rock festival in upstate New York, the festival was free. What a bummer! We had
Woodstock festival to be held sometime in actually bought tickets. As we entered the
August in a farm in Bethel, a small town. Sly venue, we saw thousands and thousands of
And The Family Stone (one of my favourites people (mainly hippies and some regular folks)
then) would be performing, along with a big list spread over acres of Yasgur’s farm, and still
of rock bands. It was rumoured that Bob Dylan coming. All facing the biggest concert stage that
would be performing also since he lived nearby. I had seen at that time, with huge tower speakers
So, promptly decided to go along with my IIT (probably 10,000 watts of music power). We
buddies. Looking back, the biggest mistake that could hear these speakers during our walk to
we made, was to buy Tickets for Woodstock and Woodstock. And then it was the beginning of
that too, at $20 a ticket. Expensive at that time. music euphoria for the next 3 days and nights.”
“So, on Friday I took off along with three other Most of the normal facilities for such crowds
friends started our epic and memorable journey could not be organised, a situation made
to Woodstock in a green Mustang. A few hours worse by the weather. The food ran out on
later, driving towards Bethel, we encountered the first day and the US army had to drop off
one of the biggest traffic jams that I had seen snacks packages via helicopter. Drugs of every
at that time. Cars were parked on both sides of description were free-floating. The festival
the road and people were walking, trudging, was remarkably peaceful give the size of the
laughing and waving the peace sign. It was an crowd, the bad weather and logistical glitches.
unbelievable sight. The local village people were Amazingly only one person died of overdose,
offering food and water along the way. And in while one girl was run over by a tractor while
the distance, we could hear music. We parked she was in a sleeping bag at night.
and walked. Two or three hours and 11 miles
Porridge kept us going
Here are some more impressions from Prakash
Ullal:
- No food counters were operational. We ate
porridge for three days, which was supplied free
by the organisers.
- Sanitation facilities were minimal. We held our
breath for three days!
- Food and water by shared by everyone. There
The annual Harvest Festival at Bethel Woods is held at the site of was great atmosphere of love and peace. There
the original 1969 Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York. was no violence at all.
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