AAJ KAVITA
Bodhisattva, Shailja Pathak (Mumbai); Rakesh Renu (Delhi) and Nand Bharadwaj (Jaipur) will read their poems.

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

From Dynasties to Democracy: Politics, Caste and Power Struggles in Rajasthan 
by Deep Mukherjee & Tabeenah Anjum (Macmillan, 2025)

Speakers: Mr. Aditya Menon,Political Editor, The Quint (Moderator); Mr. Akhil Chaudhary,Lawyer and human rights activist ; Mr. Bhanwar Meghwanshi, Writer and social activist;  Ms. Seema Chishti,Editor, The Wire;
Mr. Deep Mukherjee, Author of the book;  Dr. Tabeenah Anjum, Author of the book

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 
Evolution of Bharatiya Knowledge System: Archaeological Perspective

Speaker: Prof. Vasant Shinde, former Professor and Vice-Chancellor, Deccan College, Pune; Adjunct Professor at IIT, BHU, IIT, Hyderabad and the Central University of Haryana

Chair:  K. N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Moderator: Pratap Bhanu Singh Sengar, former Director (Monuments) Archaeological Survey of India

Based on archaeological data it is evident that the Bharatiya Knowledge System originates around 7000 BCE. Basic technologies and knowledge for production of various crafts were developed by the early farming communities around 7000BCE. These technologies and knowledge gradually refined and fully developed around 2500 BCE. The presentation will take a survey of this development and explain, with archaeological evidence, what different knowledge systems were introduced and their continuity till date
 

The German contribution in Himalayan understanding with special references to the Schlangitweit brothers

Chair : Ashok Vajpeyi, Poet, critic and editor. Managing and life Trustee, The Raza Foundation

Talk by Dr. Hermann Kreutzmann

Prof. Emeritus Dr. Hermann Kreutzmann,  held the Chair of Human Geography at Freie Universitat Berlin until March 2020. His main research interest is regionally located in Central and South Asia ; the topics range from development studies, high mountain research, mobility and migration to political geography and minority issues. Empirical research has been implemented for more than 40 years resulting in more than 25 books and 250 plus published research papers.

Talk by Prof. Shekhar Pathak
Remembering Pundit Nain Singh Rawat who began in journey with Schlangitweit brothers

Professor Shekhar Pathak is a historian. He is a former professor of History at Kumaun University, Nainital and has been a Nehru Fellow at the Centre for Contemporary Studies at the Nehru Memorial, Teen Murti, New Delhi. He founded the People’s Association for Himalaya Area Research (PAHAR) in 1983. He is an intrepid traveler of the Himalayas and has worked on several aspects of Himalayan history such as local movements, freedom struggle, personalities and culture of Uttarakhand etc.

This talk is being held in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition ‘Himalayan Encounters – Hidden Views from 170 Years Ago: The Schlagintweit Drawings in India’, currently on view at the Annexe Art Gallery until 29 April 2026  

MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION

Manodharma Sangeeta: Scope and Expression within the compositions of Dr. Balamuralikrishna in Carnatic Music
Presentation by Prof P. B. Kanna Kumar

M. Balamuralikrishna was a legendary musician known for his remarkable creativity and versatility. This lecture will highlight the many dimensions of his musical contributions, including his excellence in composing padavarnams with rich sahitya and linguistic brilliance in languages such as Sanskrit and Telugu. It will discuss his innovations in creating new ragas, exploring varied talas, and composing different musical forms in multiple languages, including distinctive tillanas. The lecture will mainly focus on the elements of manodharma (the creative improvisational aspects) found in his compositions.

Prof. P. B. Kanna Kumar is a distinguished Carnatic classical vocalist and Professor in the Department of Music at the University of Delhi
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Power of Ayurveda & Yoga
By Anita Dua (Shubhi Publications, 2026)

Discussants: Vaidya Devendra Triguna, Leading practitioner of Ayurveda; Annantharam Sharma, HOD Panchakarma and Former Medical Superintendent, All India Institute of Ayurveda; Bijoylaxmi Hota, Author & Yoga Therapist; Anita Dua, Author of the Book

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Power of Ayurveda & Yoga
By Anita Dua (Shubhi Publications, 2026)

Discussants: Vaidya Devendra Triguna, Leading practitioner of Ayurveda; Annantharam Sharma, HOD Panchakarma and Former Medical Superintendent, All India Institute of Ayurveda; Bijoylaxmi Hota, Author & Yoga Therapist; Anita Dua, Author of the Book

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 

Cracks in the wall: stories 
By Neera Kashyap (Niyogi Books, 2025)

Speakers:Shri Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, Director, Niyogi Books ;Dr. Malashri Lal, Author, Poet, Anthologist; Former Professor, Department of English, University of Delhi;Ms. Deepa Agarwal, Author, Poet & Translator; Dr. Payal Nagpal, Poet, Professor, Dept of English Literature, Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi ;Ms. Neera Kashyap, Author & Poet. 

Chair:- Shri Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, Director, Niyogi Books 
 

The Theatre Photograph as Evidence

Speakers: A. Mangai (Dr V Padma), scholar, activist, and theatre personality known for her extensive work in Tamil feminist theatre; Amal Allana, theatre director and former Chairperson, National School of Drama); and Shuddhabrata Sengupta, artist, writer and curator (Raqs Media Collective)

Moderator: Zuleikha Chaudhari

The talk engages with theatre as a social document. As dynamic source material, deflecting and reflecting both evidentiary and lyrical dimensions of performance, how can the theatre photograph situate the medium within the social, political, economic, and legal? How can theatre be read as a public record of the everyday experience of historical events?

(Collaboration: Alkazi Theatre Archives;The Alkazi Foundation for the Arts)
 

MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION: THE 150TH EDITION

The Symbiosis of Music and Dance: Placing Music in Indian Classical Dance                                                An illustrated presentation by Madhavi Mudgal

The presentation will focus on Madhavi Mudgal's perspective of the music that accompanies Indian classical dance; a perspective that emphasises how music and dance go together and enhance each other.   
Madhavi Mudgal is a renowned exponent and Guru of Odissi dance