LIVING LANDSCAPES
Conceptualized by Anuj Srivastava

Mangar Bani: The Sacred Native Forest of the Aravalis

Speaker: Sunil Harsana, Researcher, Conservationist

The talk will be followed by a panel discussion
Moderator: Anuj Srivastava, Architect, Writer and Photographer

Discussants:  Amit Yadav, Ex-Civil Servant, Nature lover, Photographer; Neha Sinha, Conservationist and Author of Wild Capital

Nestled in the ancient Aravali hills along the Delhi–Haryana border, Mangar Bani is a sacred forest and archaeological landscape of immense ecological and cultural significance. Sunil Harsana of Mangar has been at the forefront of conservation efforts, with vital community involvement, to save this vital native forest. In this talk, he shares his inspiring and deeply personal journey of conservation — a story of resilience, collective action, and hope for endangered ecosystems everywhere.

(The seventh talk in the Series on Living Landscapes)
 

Artistic Explorations of the Himalaya

Speaker: Dr Vladimir Zaitsev, art historian, curator and museologist
The talk traces the centuries-long history of visual artists’ engagements with the mountainous regions of northern India, Nepal and Tibet, including early European efforts to visually document borderland terrains, flora, fauna and cultures.

Himalayan Landscapes as Portals to Transcendence: A Personal Account of Sublime Visuality in Geographic Exploration
Speaker: Dr Vaibhav Kaul, mountain geographer and multidisciplinary artist
Drawing from two decades of visual and audiovisual documentation in the Himalaya, the talk explores the aesthetic, emotional and contemplative dimensions of geographic field research in remote mountain landscapes.

Followed by a Film Screening 
Mountain, Priest, Son
(27 minutes; 2018; Hindi with English subtitles)
Directed by John Seddon and Vaibhav Kaul

Set in one of India’s most sacred and geologically fragile mountain regions, the documentary explores vulnerability, resilience and changing belief systems through the lives of a priest and his family who survived a devastating flood.

The talks and film screening are being held in conjunction with the exhibition ‘Glacial Mothers: The Numinous Realms of Annapurna and Nanda Devi’, featuring artworks by Vaibhav Kaul, on view at the Annexe Art Gallery.

Fandi: Experience the Truth Unfold

Written by Shankar Shesh
Directed by Vishaal Vashishtha
Actors on Stage: Vishaal Vashishtha as Advocate; Akbar as Fandi; Dinesh Sharma as Warden

Fandi follows a truck driver imprisoned for the mercy killing of his terminally ill father, who was suffering from advanced throat cancer. Claiming he merely fulfilled his father’s wish to end unbearable pain, Fandi becomes the centre of a legal and moral debate on euthanasia, poverty, suffering, and humanity. Through Vakil Bhagatram’s defence, the play raises difficult questions about dignity, compassion, and the right to die.
 

Gond Pradhans of Patangarh: A Dynamic New Art Taking Roots

This exhibition explores the vibrant artistic practices of the Gond Pradhans of Patangarh, whose visual language emerged through the transformation of oral traditions, songs, myths and musical memories into imagery. Initiated by the pioneering artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, the movement dissolves boundaries between imagination and reality, nature and myth, creating a fluid and deeply rooted contemporary tribal visual tradition.
Featuring work by 21 Patangarh-based Gond Pradhan artists whose practices continue and expand the artistic legacy initiated by Jangarh Singh Shyam.

The exhibition will be inaugurated on Friday, 12 June 2026 at 18:30 hrs

The exhibition will remain open daily from Saturday 13th May TO  Friday 26th May from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs 

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)

DIALOGUES IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Conceptualised by Dr.Ashwani Kumar

Talk & Workshop from 10:00 to 13:00
    Practical Spine Care. 
    Mobility training for Healthy Aging.  
1. Posture Assessment: Stooping, sagittal imbalance, walking pattern.
2. Balance Testing: Single-leg stance, chair rise test, gait observation.
3. Guided Demonstrations: Getting out of bed safely, lifting techniques, sitting posture, walking posture.
4. Simple Spine Exercises: Chair exercises, core activation, stretching, balance drills.
5. Fall Prevention Tips: Footwear, bathroom safety, lighting, muscle strengthening.

Open to IIC members and staff members of IIC

At 16:00
Short Talk on The Aging Spine: How to Stay Upright, Active & Pain-Free
Aging of the spine is one of the common causes of pain, stooping posture, imbalance, reduced walking capacity, and loss of independence in senior citizens. However, many problems associated with the aging spine can be prevented, delayed, or effectively managed with timely awareness and appropriate lifestyle measures.
This interactive public lecture will discuss the common spinal problems seen after the age of 60, including back pain, cervical and lumbar degeneration, osteoporosis, spinal deformity, and balance-related issues.  Practical guidance will be provided regarding posture, spine-friendly daily habits, exercise, fall prevention, bone health, and maintaining mobility in later life.

Speaker: Dr. Bhavuk Garg, Prof., Department of Orthopedics  

Followed by a panel discussion on ‘Spine Care made Simple’

Moderator: Dr. Bhavuk Garg, Prof., Department of Orthopedics  

Panelists: Dr. Rajesh Malhotra, Former Prof. & Head, Department of Orthopedics, A.I.I.M.S., New. Delhi; Dr. Achal K. Srivastava, Prof., Department of Neurology, A.I.I.M.S, New Delhi; Dr. Puneet Khanna, Prof. of Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine & Critical Care, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi.
                      
Followed by interactive Q & A session with the audience

Chair: Dr. Ashwani Kumar
 

Tashi and the Monk
(152 minutes; 2014; English)
Director: Andrew Hinton and Johnny Burke

Recipient of the 2016 Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Documentary; Recipient of multiple international awards including the IDA Best Short Award and Pare Lorentz Award (2014)

The documentary that follows Buddhist monk Lobsang Phuntsok and the children of Jhamtse Gatsal, a Himalayan community built on love and compassion. Through the story of young Tashi, the film offers a deeply moving portrait of healing, belonging, and the transformative power of care.

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

MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION

Carmen: More than an Opera
An illustrated presentation by Dr Punita G. Singh

This presentation will encounter the many facets of Carmen, the lead character of Georges Bizet’s opera, based on a story by Prosper Mérimée. First performed in 1875 to a mixed response, the opera has since become legendary and a favourite with performers and audiences around the world. The opera has also drawn criticism for its stereotypic, exoticized and negative representation of the Roma (gitano/gypsies). Some artists, writers and academics have presented counternarratives to claim Carmen as a symbol of autonomy and agency, rallying against machismo, patriarchy, racism and fascism. With its catchy music and scope for interpretation and reinvention, the opera will evidently endure and Carmen shall keep reincarnating to assert her rebellious spirit.
Dr Punita G Singh is a musicologist, linguist, acoustician, editor and educator based in New Delhi
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

How Robots stole our jobs: struggles of Suzuki Workers in the Age of AI 
by Nandita Haksar (Aakar Books, 2026)

Discussants: Dr. Madhusudhan Raman, Department of Physics, Ashoka University will be in conversation with the Author

Iran War and the Global Economy

Chair: Amb. K.P. Fabian, Professor, Indian Society of International Law, New Delhi and Symbiosis University, Pune

Discussants: Amb. Dammu Ravi, Former Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA); Prof Gulshan Dietl, Former Professor, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi

The war on Iran initiated by Israel and the United States on 28 February continues to have serious repercussions on the global economy, particularly in the areas of energy security, agriculture and fertiliser supply chains. The discussion will examine the wider geopolitical and economic consequences of the conflict, while addressing the urgent need for a negotiated settlement in the interest of global stability and humanity. The Global South, in particular, continues to bear a disproportionate share of the economic burden arising from the crisis.