THE IIC DOUBLE BILL: MUSIC AND DANCE RECITALS 
Kathak Recital
By Badal Bariha from Delhi, disciple of Guru Malti Shyam
Accompanists:  Amaan Ali (Tabla); Jaywardhan Dadhich (Vocal and Harmonium)
Ashish Gangani (Pakhawaj) & Harshita Sharma (Padhant) 
    
At 18:30

Kuchipudi Recital
By Rajashree Holla, from Bengaluru, disciple of Guru Dharani T Kashyap

Concert 
Piano recital by Marouan Benabdallah, well-known pianist from Morocco, and faculty at the Budapest Liszt Academy of Music

(Collaboration: Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in New Delhi)
 

Dastan-e-Irfan-e-Buddha

(Urdu / Hindi / Pali / Sanskrit)

Written by: Poonam Girdhani; Performed by: Rajesh Kumar & Poonam Girdhani; Directed by: Mahmood Farooqui, writer, scholar, filmmaker, and performer, best known for reviving Dastangoi. Produced by: Anusha Rizvi

Dastan-e-Irfan-e-Buddha is a glimpse into the life, philosophy and world view of Tathagata, the enlightened one, aiming to introduce us to the man and a life that, in the words of Jawahar Lal Nehru, was the greatest soul to ever walk in Bharatvarsha. Built from sources including Thich Nhat Hanh, Dr B. R. Ambedkar, Ashwaghosha, Edwin Arnold, Rahul Sanskrityayan, Paul Carus, Therigatha, Intizar Husain and the Jataka stories.

Dastangoi is the art of oral storytelling rooted in the legendary tales of Amir Hamza, flourishing in the Urdu literary tradition of North India. Revived in contemporary times, it blends narration, voice, and imagination to bring epic stories alive.

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

FILMIT India: INTACH Children’s Film Festival
Children’s cultural film festival, a screening of the best films on heritage made by children across different schools in Delhi-NCR
(Collaboration: Heritage Education and Communication Service, INTACH)
 

THE IIC DOUBLE BILL: MUSIC AND DANCE RECITALS

Kathak Recital
By Neelakshi Khandker-Saxena from Delhi, disciple of Pt. Rajendra Gangani    

At 18:30

Odissi Recital
By Krishnendu Saha from Udaipur, disciple of Sharmila Biswas   
 

The Bard and The Balladeer 
A Musical tribute to Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika 
Presented by Mayukh Hazarika, singer, songwriter and music director from Assam and Laili Dutta.

The occasion marks the centenary year of Dr. Hazarika, being celebrated across Assam and the country. The artists have carried forward the bard’s legacy through performances in India and abroad. Their repertoire will be interwoven with personal anecdotes and lesser-known stories behind his iconic songs.

(Collaboration: Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) 
 

THE IIC DOUBLE BILL: MUSIC AND DANCE RECITALS

Sarod Recital
By Reeta Das from Patna, disciple of Pt Sunil Mukherjee and Ustad Aashish Khan and disciple & daughter of Prof Chandrakant Lal Das  

At 18:30

Carnatic Vocal Recital
By Anagha Manikandan from Delhi, disciple of Guru Guruvayoor Dr. T V Manikandan
Accompanists: Delhi R Sridhar (Violin), Manohar Balatchandirane (Mridangam)

IIC ANNUAL DAY 2026
CONCERT
Nirgun – The Confluence of Sufi and Bhakti 
Presented by Sonam Kalra, singer and composer, member of the Grammy Recording Academy. She is the creator of The Sufi Gospel, a critically celebrated musical project foregrounding inclusion and equality. 

Accompanists: Ahsan Ali on Sarangi; Amaan Ali on Tabla; Faizan Ali Khan on Keyboard; Amman on Dholak; and Kiran Kumar on flute.
 

Commemoration of the 97th Birthday of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. 
and the 56th anniversary of the Gandhi-King Memorial Plaza 
 
Celebration of the Power of Non-Violent Action
& the Life of Martin Luther King Jr, [15 January 1929 – 4 April 1968]
& Commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the Gandhi-King Memorial Plaza

Assembly and Briefing from 10:15 am to 10:30 am at the Gandhi-King Memorial Plaza

Commemoration Service from 10: 30 am to 11:00 am at the Gandhi-King Memorial Plaza
Songs by Choirs of Schools from Delhi NCR

Interactive Session from 11:15 am to 12.15 pm at the C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium

Interactive Session Theme:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - Matin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.

During the Interactive Session a short film on Martin Luther King's Life shall be screened.

Moderators: Suhas Borker (Working Group on Alternative Strategies); Ramesh Sharma (Gandhi Yuva Biradari)

Students from Schools of Delhi NCR to participate.

This programme is part of the Taking Children to Gandhi series, launched in 2008, that brings children closer to the enduring legacy of Gandhi’s non-violent struggle for equity, justice, pluralism and sustainable development.

Gandhi-King Memorial Plaza was inaugurated on 21 January 1970 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and commemorates two iconic figures of our times: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

(Collaboration: Gandhi Yuva Biradari and Working Group on Alternative Strategies)
 

DR. C.D. DESHMUKH MEMORIAL LECTURE 2026
India in a New Asia
Speaker: Mr. George Yong-Boon Yeo, former Cabinet Minister in Singapore Government and currently Visiting Scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS, Singapore

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC

In the coming decades, there is a fair chance that Southeast, East, Central and West Asia will all see major transformation for the better. South Asia with India at its core should do well too. By 2050, India’s economy in PPP terms will likely be the second largest in the world. The lecture will discuss the hopes and challenges of this future.

The talk will be live on IIC Youtube channel
https://youtube.com/live/iYaXm7cD72M?feature=share

https://youtu.be/iYaXm7cD72M