PERFORMANCES

Inauguration of the Festival
By Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Followed by
Scent of the Earth
By Alarmel Valli, eminent Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer.  Awarded the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, The Chevalier of Arts and Letters from the French Government

Birds of India: Company Paintings c.1800 and 1835

A pioneering exhibition of late 18th and early 19th century Company Paintings devoted entirely to Indian birds

Curated by Giles Tillotson, SVP, DAG
 

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Mahesh Verma, Trustee, IIC on 31 October 2026 at 11:30 hrs

The exhibition will remain on view from 31 October to 14 November 2026, from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

(Collaboration: DAG)

Living Lightly: Journey with the Pastoralists 
Living Lightly, India’s first exhibition on pastoral life, explores pastoral mobility, landscapes, knowledge and challenges. Through installations, stories and demonstrations, it reflects on the lives of pastoral communities and their struggle to remain mobile amid shrinking grasslands.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee, IIC on 30 October 2026 at 17:30 hrs

The exhibition will remain on view from 30 October to 3 November 2026, from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs.

(Collaboration: Centre for Pastoralism (CfP))

Palms and Parchment: Keralam’s Heritage of Reading and Relics
An Exhibition of Literacy, Legacy and the Cultural Treasures of Keralam

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of the Travancore Royal Family with Special Invitee Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee, IIC on 30 October at 16:00 hrs

The exhibition will remain on view from 30 October to 3 November 2026, from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

(Collaboration: State Central Library, Kerala; Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library; Sri Chitra Art Gallery; Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery; Kerala State Archives; Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum and Pusthaka Gramam/Perumkulam Village)

Rukkha, Rakkha, Yakkha: Foundational Evidence for Tree Worship in Indian Art
Keynote Address by Naman P. Ahuja, Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC
 

THE IIC EXPERIENCE: A FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS – 29TH OCTOBER TO 3RD NOVEMBER 2026
PRAKRITI: ECOLOGY AND EXISTENCE

FESTIVAL CURTAIN RAISER

Prakriti: Harmonizing Inner and Outer Worlds in South Asian Texts and Traditions
The exhibition explores Prakriti as the essential nature of existence and the vital force of creation through the lenses of Indian philosophy, Ayurveda and other disciplines. Reproductions of South Asian manuscripts present diverse perspectives on the inner and external worlds, including poetic and artistic representations of mountains, rivers, forests and animal life.

Inauguration of the exhibition by Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture on Thursday, 29 October at 16:00 hrs

The exhibition will remain on view from 29 October to 6 November 2026, from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

(Organised by the IIC-International Research Division)
 

Yamuna – Life Eternal
An evening celebrating the river through music, song and dance-drama performance

Narration and Choreography: Padma Shri Kathak Guru Shovana Narayan as Yamuna; Music and Vocals: Shoma Banerjee
Visuals, Concept and Direction: K. N. Saifullah; Script and Visuals: Tarini Sharma; Dance: Asavari Centre for Kathak

(Collaboration: The Mountain Climate Trust)
 

Leo from Chicago 
Discover the people and places that shaped Pope Leo XIV
(2026;52 minutes; English)
A film by journalists: Deborah Castellano Lubov, Salvatore Cernuzio and Felipe Herrera-Espaliat
Produced by: The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Apostolado El Sembrador Nueva Evangelización (ESNE)

The film explores the early life of Pope Leo XIV through the memories of his brothers, teachers, classmates and friends. From his childhood in Dolton to his formation as an Augustinian, the documentary introduces the family relationships, communities and experiences that shaped Robert Francis Prevost’s religious vocation.

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)
 

Threshold
An exhibition of recent works by Sangam Peshawaria, with her exploration of the human body through charcoal drawings and oil paintings on paper. Focusing on fragments—hands, feet, limbs and gestures—the works invite viewers to complete what remains unseen through memory and imagination.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by K.N Shrivastava, Director, IIC on Friday, 16th October’26 at 18:00 hrs
The exhibition will remain open daily from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

From Manuscript to Memory: India’s Contribution to UNESCO Memory of the World Programme by Dr. Ramesh C. Gaur and Dr. Mayank Shekhar (IGNCA 2026)

Safeguarding Living Heritage: India’s Contribution to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and UNESCO Creative Cities Network by Dr. Ramesh C. Gaur, Dr. Arhana Lochan, Ms. Ashna Kumar and Mr. Mayank Singh. (IGNCA 2026)

Tangible and Natural Heritage Sites of Incredible India: India’s Contributions to the UNESCO World Heritage List by Dr. Ramesh C. Gaur and Mr. Sadhish Sharma (IGNCA 2026)

Chair:  Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA

Discussants: Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture (TBC); K. K. Aggarwal, President, South Asian University (TBC); Tim Curtis, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia; Sandhya Purecha, Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi; Yadubir Singh Rawat, Director General, Archaeological Survey of India; Ramesh C. Gaur, Dean, Faculty of Arts Media and Design, South Asian University & Author of the book.