Words in the Garden: A Celebration of Literature, Arts and Ideas
 

Reimagining Tradition: Where Heritage Meets Tomorrow: A Two-Day Festival about Literature, Arts, and Cultural Evolution
 

This festival explores the delicate tension and enduring harmony between preserving our cultural roots and embracing the frontiers of innovation. From the revival of ancient crafts to the advent of digital art, and from the evolution of classical music to the future of Indian fashion, we invite you to a series of dialogues that bridge the gap between our storied past and a reimagined future.

The programme has been organised in collaboration with Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti Supported by IILM University

Lok Yatra: A Folk Music Journey
 

Runki Goswami presents a musical journey rooted in the folk traditions of Assam and East India while also weaving together songs from multiple regions and languages, the performance celebrates the country’s rich folk heritage, offering a unified experience of India’s sonic diversity through an engaging performance.

Runki Goswami, a contemporary vocalist whose work bridges Indian folk and ghazal traditions, trained in Hindustani classical music from the Prayag tradition.

Accompanists: Virender Singh on tabla and rhythms; Saif Ali Khan on keyboard: Hemant Juyal on guitar; Yogesh Solanki on dholak and percussions.

(Collaboration: NCZCC, Prayagraj, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India)
 

Trump’s Challenge to the Global Order
 

Speaker: Prof. Yan Xuetong, distinguished Professor at Tsinghua University and the Honorary President of the Institute of International Relations, Tsinghua University (TUIIR). Former Secretary-General of the World Peace Forum (WPF), the first high-level international security forum initiated by a Chinese non-governmental institution.

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Trump 1.0 shifted the globalization order during the post-Cold War to the present counter-globalization order, and his second term is accelerating this trend. Economically, this trend manifests as the fragmentation of global markets; politically, as the non-compliance with human rights norms; and in terms of security, as increasing military violation of sovereignty. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are the regions with continuous military conflicts, while China-US competition will concentrate in East Asia but where is likely to remain relatively peaceful.

Swarantar: A Journey Through Indian Classical Music

The concert will feature two prominent artistes: Pt Abhay Rustam Sopori, an accomplished santoor maestro and composer, cultural ambassador of Kashmir, torchbearer of Sopori musical lineage of Kashmir and Pt Ojesh Pratap Singh, an eminent Hindustani classical vocalist, known for his mastery in Khayal.

(Collaboration: AntarHriday Connect)

The Last Shaman( 2016;80 min;English)

Director: Raz Degan

How far would you go to save your own life?
Disillusioned with his all-American life, a young man is confronted by thoughts of suicide. To save his life, he embarks on a journey into the depths of the Amazon rainforest, where stories of Shamans and Ayahuasca ceremonies promise psychic redemption. His experiences with tribal medicines are life-changing—but he is also forced to confront the parts of himself he has long struggled to understand.

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

Mudras. Tejiendo hilos invisibles
 

A dance performance by Mónica de la Fuente and Nazaré de la Fuente—mother and daughter, and Spanish professional contemporary dancers trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, combining both Spanish and Indian cultural heritage.

Followed by a documentary screening of the same name, Mudras. Tejiendo hilos invisibles (Mudras: Weaving Invisible Threads)
(90 min; Spanish with English subtitles)
Producers: Anna Saura
Co-producers and Directors: Bobby Bedi and María Salgado

The film marks the first co-production between Spanish and Indian filmmakers. It tells the story of a mother and a daughter that travel all the way to India to discover its art and culture.

(Collaboration: Embassy of Spain in New Delhi)
 

Violin Recital
By Anupriya Deotale from Delhi, disciple of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Pandit Ram Narayan

At 18:30

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Deepak Singh from Meerut, disciple of Pt. Madhup Mudgal
Accompanists: Shambhu Nath Bhattacharjee (Tabla); Chetan Nigam (Harmonium); Shashank & Arun (Tanpura)
 

Multilateralism and the future of AI
 

Speaker: Amandeep Singh Gill, Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, and Chief Executive Officer of the International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) project, based at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva.  
Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC
 

This talk examines how multilateral cooperation can shape the responsible governance of artificial intelligence, balancing innovation with ethics, equity, and global security. Drawing on international policy perspectives, it explores the role of global institutions in ensuring AI benefits humanity at large.

Day of Mindfulness: The Way Out is in
 

Speakers: Pháp Hữu, Abbot of Plum Village; Jo Confino, Author and Journalist; Monastics and teachers from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition
Chair: Dharmacharya Shantum Seth
This Programme is grounded in the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and offers participants an opportunity to engage with contemplative practices that cultivate awareness, compassion, and insight. The programme will include guided mindfulness meditation, reflections by Plum Village monastics, and periods of dialogue and inquiry.
Participants are requested to register in advance at www.ahimsatrust.org or by writing to ahimsatrust@gmail.com
 

(Collaboration: Ahimsa Trust)

Soorma 
(131 min;2018; Hindi with English subtitles)
Director: Shaad Ali

Based on the life of Sandeep Singh, the film chronicles the remarkable rise of a gifted young hockey player from Punjab to the Indian national team. At the peak of his career, a tragic gunshot accident leaves him paralysed from the waist down, seemingly ending his future in the sport. Defying medical odds through extraordinary grit and determination, Singh stages a dramatic comeback, returning to international hockey and eventually leading India as captain.

(Collaboration: Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF)