Khon- Classical masked dance drama from Thailand
Adapted from Ramakien, the Thai national epic based on Valmiki’s Ramayana

(Collaboration: Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge and Emerging North-East Eco Forum (ENEEF))

Chief Guest: P.K Tripathi, Executive Committee Member, IIC

Venue: Fountain Lawns

Classical Vocal Recital
Prakriti ka Sangeet

By Kalapini Komkali, distinguished Hindustani classical vocalist. Awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2023 for her contribution to Indian classical music.
Accompanied by Shambhunath Bhattacharya on Tabla; Chetan Nigam on Harmonium; Akshay Mohan on Dholak

Chief Guest: Anita Singh, Musicologist and Art Historian.

Nirvana Nataka
An intimate solo recital by Maa Parvathy Baul

The recital offers an immersive journey into the mystical, sacred universe of Bengal’s ancient oral tradition. Nirvana Nataka is a sacred, meditative experience where sound, pulse and breath converge to celebrate the ecstasy of spiritual freedom.

Chief Guest: Shailesh Nayak, Life Trustee, IIC

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 Pooyam Thirunal Gouri Parvathi 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 (Village of Books, Perumkulam)

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 

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)
 

Postponed

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)