Aniconic to the Iconic: Cult of Dharmaraj – The Folk Form of Hinduism
 

Speaker: Shri Jawhar Sircar, public intellectual and former Secretary Culture and CEO, Prasar Bharti

Swing Time in Limousin (France)
(75 min; 2019; French with English subtitles)
Directors; Dilip & Dominique Varma who will introduce the film

Screening will be followed by a discussion

‘Swing Time in Limousin’ recounts a little known story in the big history of Jazz through the reminiscences of Jean-Marie Masse, a French drummer and unconditional promoter of black American music, just after the war when segregation and racism were still terribly active. It is a story of friendship and music which attracted to Limoges, a small town in the centre of France, some of the greatest jazz musicians and legends, like Duke Ellington or Lionel Hampton, with whom he played on stage. This documentary feature tells the story of how a musical genre, which rose out of oppression and revolt, ended up transmitting friendship and pure joie de vivre.

By Vishwas Hari (mandolin); and Charulatha Chandrasekar (veena)
With Abhishek Avadani on mridangam and Ujith Udaya Kumar on tabla

(Collaboration: Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha)

Presented by T.M. Krishna

Accompanists: Akkarai S. Subhalakshmi (violin); K. Arunprakash (mridangam); and Sunil Lumar (kanjira)

The concert presents the compositions of Sree Narayana Guru, the spiritual guru and social reformer.

(Collaboration: Nool Archives; Sree Narayana Mandira Samiti, Mumbai; and Uru at Harbour)

Book Discussion: The Girl With Seven Lives
Vikas Swarup, author of the book in conversation with Manika Raikwar

At 15:15
Book Discussion: The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World
William Dalrymple, author of the book in conversation with Nidhi Razdan

At 16:00
Sanatan Sangeet Puraskar-2025
With Jyotsna Mohan, Allen Shaw, Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Ragini Maharaj and Aarushi Bhargava

At 17:15
Kathak Recital
By Ragini Maharaj
 

Performing Delhi: Stage, Street, and Society
How performance arts reflect and shape Delhi’s social fabric

At 15:15
Book Discussion: 2024: The Election that Surprised India
Vir Sanghvi in conversation with Rajdeep Sardesai, author of the book

At 16:30
Retro Bollywood Music Recital
By Aarushi Bhargava
 

The three-day annual festival brings together leading figures in the fields of literature, ideas, art, social sciences and other public spheres to celebrate the creativity, imagination and ideas that Delhi generates, sustains and embodies. Organised in collaboration with IILM University, the festival presents a series of discussions, dialogues, readings, and recitals

At 14:15
Inauguration

At 14:30
Panel discussion on Crossroads of Empire: How Delhi Shaped and Reflects Indian Identity
Panelists: S. Irfan Habib, historian; Swapna Liddle; historian; RJ Sayema, radio jockey; and Jyotsna Mohan Bhargava, author

Moderator: Maya Mirchandani

At 15:45
Digital Delhi: Heritage Meets Innovation
The Intersection of technology, AI, and Cultural preservation