Hindustani Khayal and Thumri Recital
 

Presented by Sniti Mishra, Hindustani classical vocalist, with Milind Vasudev on harmonium; Hrishikesh Majumdar on flute; and Ajeet Pathak on tabla,

Chief Guest: Shri N.N. Vohra, Life Trustee, IIC
 

The Splendour of Malay Dance: from tradition to contemporary
 

Presented by dancers from ASK Dance Company (ADC), featuring six artists. The performers include Zulkarnain Zuber, Jackson Janda, Nadhirah Rahmat, Yu Jun, Sera Nina, and Shan Tie.

The performance will feature a variety of traditional Malaysian dances, ranging from classical to folk styles. The program will also include new contemporary pieces created by young Malaysian choreographers, who have drawn inspiration from these traditional forms.

Chief Guest: Dr. Mahesh Verma, Trustee, IIC

Stree Ratnas – Women Composters of Bharat\
 

Presented by Kalaimamani Smt. Vishakha Hari, renowned Carnatic vocalist and Harikatha exponent, with Violin by Idappally Ajith Kumar and Mridangam by Arjun Ganesh. 
 

Chief Guest: Shri. K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC
 

Diva: The Triumph of Woman in Opera 
 

Conceptualised and presented by The Neemrana Music Foundation. Performed by women opera singers with pianist Nadine Jo Crasto, the programme will showcase some of the most celebrated opera arias — from Mozart to Puccini, Händel to Verdi, Tchaikovsky to Bizet — performed in their original languages. The concert highlights how women, in a world once dominated by men, have transcended conventions to be celebrated as divas — the “divine ones.”

Chief Guest: Dr Shailesh Nayak, Life Trustee, IIC.

FRIDAY 10

Inauguration of the Festival
By Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Followed by
Bharatnatyam Recital 
By Malavika Sarukkai
Accompanists: Ms. Neela Sukhanya S; Ms. Krithika Arvind; Mr. Nellai Balaji Azhwar; and Mr. S.Venkata Subramanian

 

A Star named Arundhati
 

This centenary exhibition celebrates the life and legacy of Arundhati Devi (1924–1990), a multifaceted figure in Bengali cinema—actress, director, producer, singer, and writer, whose career spanned four decades. Drawing from rare family archives and private collections in Kolkata, the exhibition presents an intimate portrait of her world through photographs, diaries and other film memorabilia. 
Curated by Mrinalini Vasudevan and Tapati Guha-Thakurta

Inauguration by Shri Ashwajit Singh, Trustee on 11th October 2025 at 11:30

Special Invitees: Professor Kaushik Bhowmick, Department of Film Studies, School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU; and Professor Bishnupriya Dutt, Department of Performance Studies, School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU

Forms in Continuum: Narratives in Modern Indian Sculpture 
 

This exhibition brings together works by S. Dhanapal, K. S. Radhakrishnan, Navjot, Kiron Sinha, and Latika Katt, artists who have each reshaped the possibilities of sculptural practice.

Inauguration by Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC on Friday, 10 October at 17:30

(Collaboration: DAG)
 

Ink and Eternity, Priceless Collections of Darbhanga and Nalanda 
 

This exhibition presents Bihar’s rich heritage of learning through collections from libraries. On display are rare manuscripts, facsimiles, texts, and photographs that reflect centuries of scholarship and the continuing tradition of knowledge in the region.

Inauguration by Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee, IIC on 10 October at 16:00

(Collaboration: Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga; Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University; Nalanda University, Nava Nalanda Mahavira) 
 

Depth Sounding Our Unseen Histories
 

Keynote Address 
By Smt Mrinal Pande, Eminent Writer, Journalist and Ex-Chairperson of Prasar Bharati
The lecture explores how women’s identities have been reduced to motherhood, and how social structures often bind individuals to biology.

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC
 

Shunya: The Power of Zero
 

The concept of Zero has shaken up and transformed the world from its very inception. Scholars have applied Zero in mathematics, revolutionizing the field through calculations in algebra, geometry and arithmetic, in scientific disciplines like astronomy, physics, medicine and architecture, and also in all other areas like sculpture, music, and dance.

Inauguration by Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture on Thursday, 9 October, 2025 at 16:00