To Commemorate Martyrs Day 2025

(Collaboration: Sarvodaya International Trust-Delhi Chapter)

Life and times of Kris Kristofferson    

An illustrated lecture presented by Paranjoy Guha Thakurta
                                                                                                               

Kris Kristofferson, who passed away on 28 September 2024 at the age of 88, was an anti-establishment American singer, songwriter and actor. Among the famous songs he wrote was "Me and Bobby Mc'Gee," which was dedicated to his friend Janis Joplin; and among the well-known films he acted in with Barbra Streisand was A Star is Born.
 
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is a journalist, author, publisher, maker of documentary films and music videos, occasional teacher and music lover.

An exhibition of Artisan Designed Textiles

In 2005, Judy Frater began the first design school for artisans in India in Kutch, Gujarat. Her book, Artisans by Design chronicles the journey of developing the programme and fifteen years of artisans learning design. Each artisan profiled designed and created a textile for the book. This exhibition presents a selection of images from the book, and new textiles designed and created by the same artisans, illustrating the endless creativity of artisan designers

As part of this exhibition on 7 February 2025 in Conference Room II from 10:00 to 12:30 hrs
 

Symposium on Artisans by Design: Reflections on the journey of Education for Textile Artisans in India
The Symposium will reflect on the past and future of design education for textile artisans in India. The symposium brings together an inspiring array of voices – artisan-design graduates, educators, mentors, and experts, alongside Judy Frater, the founder of India’s pioneering design education programme for artisans and  the Founder Director Emerita of Somaiya Kala Vidya, an institute of education for artisans

Moderator: Dr. Ritu Sethi, Craft Revival Trust

(Collaboration: Craft Revival Trust)

 

Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty

An illustrated lecture by Dr. Deepi Rekha Kouli, Director,  Directorate Archaeology, Assam

The Charaideo Moidams, a unique 700-year old mound-burial system of then Ahom dynasty of Assam has been recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Similar to the pyramids of Egypt, the Moidams are earthen burial mounds of the members of the Ahom royalty whose 600-year rule ended with the British takeover of the region. They enshrine the remains of kings and other royals together with grave goods such as food, horses and elephants, and sometimes queens and servants.

First programme in a new series ‘The Fabric of Narratives: The Many Facets of North East India’ will focus on different aspects of the region and apart from talks and discussions, include seminars, exhibitions, performances and cuisine. Organised in collaboration with Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) 

Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America 

By Meenakshi Ahamad (HarperCollins India: 2024)

Discussants: Dr. Ajay Chhibber, former Assistant Secretary General, UN; Shri Amitabh Kant, former CEO, Niti Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa; and Ms Meenakshi Ahamed, journalist and author of the book 

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Kathak Recital
By Mayukh Bhattacharyya from Delhi, disciple of the late Guru Pt. Birju Maharaj

At 19:00
Bharatanatyam Recital
By Jhinook Mukherjee Sinha from Kolkata, disciple of Dr. Guru Smt Thankamani Kutty
 

Illustrated lecture by Dr. Jasvir Singh Rana who will present a visual journey through the city’s historic monuments, museums, Lodi Art District and serene natural beauty of Delhi’s gardens. Along the way, Dr. Rana will also share valuable tips on cell phone photography 

Chair: Dr. Ravindra Kumar Dewan, Director, National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases, Mehrauli

Dr. Jasvir Rana is a radiologist by training with a multifaceted passion for photography, history, and nature. For over three decades, he has been an avid heritage walker, art enthusiast, and nature lover, capturing Delhi’s monuments and natural landscapes through his lens

 Indian Constitution @75: A Federal Democracy Perspective

Speakers: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Madan Lokur, Judge, Supreme Court of Fiji, Chairperson, United Nations Internal Justice Council and former Judge, Supreme Court of India; Shri Rajeev Dhavan, Senior Advocate, human rights activist, and Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists; and Prof. Neera Chandhoke, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Equity Studies, and former Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi 

Introduction: Prof. Balveer Arora, Chairman, Centre for Multilevel Federalism and Convener, IIC Programme Planning Group on Federal Democracy

 Chair: Shri N.N. Vohra, Life Trustee, IIC

Memories & Experiences

Ravi Shankar, Agyeya, Swaminathan & others

By Madan Lal, eminent sculptor

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)
 

Curator: Prof. Himanshu Prabha Ray

Reading Monuments, Reading Buddhist Monuments

Illustrated lecture by Dr. Shashank Shekhar Sinha, independent researcher who has been working as Publishing Director, Routledge (South Asia) since 2012. He is the author of Casting the Buddha: A Monumental History of Buddhism in India (Pan Macmillan 2021), Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri: Monuments, Cities and Connected Histories (Pan Macmillan 2021), and co-edited, Gender in Modern India: History, Culture, Marginality (Oxford University Press, 2024)

Chair: Ms Junhi Han, Cheif of Culture, UNESCO Office, New Delhi

Why are monuments so important in history and the reception of the discipline in the public domain. Do we study or understand them adequately? The will highlight how a more inclusive study of monuments (and related artefacts) could lead to a more nuanced understanding of history while also making the discipline more interesting for the non-history public.