Organised by Sanskar Bharati, Delhi Prant, the Delhi Kala Utsav 2026, held on 28th February and 1st March at Rabindra Bhavan Complex, Mandi House, emerged as a vibrant celebration of India’s artistic and cultural legacy. Spread over two enriching days, the festival brought together music, dance, theatre, visual arts and literature, presenting a holistic reflection of India’s creative spirit.

The festival commenced with the traditional ceremonial lighting of the lamp, symbolising the eternal flame of Indian culture and collective consciousness. The inaugural session was graced by Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Shri Harsh Malhotra Ji, Hon’ble Shri Vijay Kumar Ji, Akhil Bharatiya Sah-Vyavastha Pramukh, Hon’ble Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly Shri Vijender Gupta Ji, Hon’ble Shri Vijay Kumar Ji, Regional Organisation Minister of Sanskar Bharati, Shri Ashok Tiwari Ji, Kendriya Karyalaya Sachiv, Sanskar Bharati, and Shri Prabhat Kumar Ji, President, Delhi Prant, Sanskar Bharati. Their esteemed presence added dignity and national significance to the occasion.

Following the inauguration, the distinguished guests were warmly welcomed in keeping with Indian tradition. Shri Omprakash Aggarwal Ji felicitated Hon’ble Shri Harsh Malhotra Ji. Shri Mahendra Gupta Ji welcomed Hon’ble Shri Vijay Kumar Ji (Akhil Bharatiya Sah-Vyavastha Pramukh). Smt. Aarti Arora Ji greeted Hon’ble Shri Vijender Gupta Ji. Shri J.P. Singh Ji felicitated Hon’ble Shri Vijay Kumar Ji (Regional Organisation Minister), while Shri Prashant Kumar Ji welcomed Shri Ashok Tiwari Ji, Kendriya Karyalaya Sachiv. Thereafter, Shri Prabhat Kumar Ji delivered the welcome address, eloquently outlining the vision and cultural commitment behind the festival.

Throughout the festival, audiences were captivated by a rich array of performances. Classical music recitals, folk dances, group singing, dance-dramas and theatrical presentations reflected the diversity and depth of India’s artistic traditions. The festive spirit of “Holi Mangal Milan” added colour and warmth to the atmosphere, transforming the venue into a lively cultural hub.

A major highlight of the event was the painting exhibition, which showcased compelling artworks inspired by Indian values, folk traditions, spirituality and contemporary themes. Visitors engaged deeply with the visual narratives, appreciating the creativity and expressive power of the participating artists.

Adding a literary dimension to the celebration, a vibrant Kavi Sammelan was organised, where poets recited thought-provoking and emotionally resonant compositions on themes of nationalism, society and cultural identity. The session received an enthusiastic response, enriching the intellectual and emotional fabric of the festival.

The festival also incorporated artistic tributes marking significant national milestones, including 75 years of the Constitution of India and 150 years of “Vande Mataram,” thereby connecting artistic expression with national remembrance and responsibility.

Delhi Kala Utsav 2026 stood as a testament to the unifying power of art. It reaffirmed that culture is not merely a reflection of heritage, but a living and dynamic force that strengthens society and nurtures national consciousness.

New Delhi, 8 February 2026:
Commemorating 75 years of the Indian Constitution, a one-day national symposium titled “कला अभिव्यक्ति : स्वतंत्रता एवं मर्यादाएँ” was jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sanskar Bharati and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). Held at the IGNCA auditorium on 8 February 2026, the event unfolded in a dignified yet intellectually vibrant atmosphere, emerging as a meaningful cultural platform that explored the dynamic relationship between art, constitutional values and contemporary society during the ongoing Amrit Mahotsav period.

The programme commenced with a ceremonial lamp-lighting by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Shri Abhijeet Gokhale, Shri Vinod Narayan Indurkar and Shri Prabhat Kumar. In their opening remarks, the speakers highlighted the intrinsic connection between the Constitution, culture and artistic practice. They emphasised that the Indian Constitution is not merely a legal framework but a living embodiment of cultural consciousness — one that empowers artists with freedom of expression while simultaneously reminding them of social responsibility and ethical boundaries.

The first session, devoted to literature, featured insightful reflections by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Dr. Alka Sinha and Shri Kishor Makwana. The panel discussed literature as a bridge between power structures, social realities and human sensitivity. Speakers observed that while the Constitution grants writers the freedom to articulate truth fearlessly, it also calls for thoughtful and responsible use of language.

In the second session on visual arts, Dr. Nandlal Thakur, Shri Neeraj Gupta and Ms. Situ Kohli explored the evolving landscape of contemporary and digital visual expression. They emphasised that visual art communicates beyond words and holds the power to mirror society. Constitutional freedoms, they noted, enable artists to challenge norms and provoke dialogue, provided that sensitivity and cultural balance remain central to creative practice.

The third session, centred on performing arts, brought together Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Shri Chetan Joshi and Ms. Vidya Shah. Through discussions on theatre, music and stage traditions, they reflected on the stage as a powerful medium for social engagement. Artists, they suggested, carry the responsibility to foster awareness, inclusivity and dialogue through their performances.

Cinema formed the focus of the fourth session, where Shri Atul Pandey, Shri Mustaza Ali Khan and senior journalist-film critic Shri Anant Vijay examined the wide-reaching influence of films on society. The panellists stressed the delicate balance between creative liberty and social accountability, highlighting the growing relevance of ethical storytelling in contemporary media landscapes.

During the valedictory session, Sanskar Bharati’s National Organisation Secretary Shri Abhijeet Gokhale drew connections between Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra, the rights and duties enshrined in the Constitution, and the need for contextually relevant artistic creation. He underscored that artistic freedom achieves its true significance only when aligned with cultural awareness and societal responsibility.

A distinctive feature of the symposium was the presentation of short street plays before each session, offering audiences an engaging thematic introduction. Complementing the discussions was an exhibition showcasing the contributions of women artisans involved in the making of the Constitution and highlighting the artistic dimensions embedded within its spirit.

Overall, the symposium emerged as an enriching and reflective cultural initiative — encouraging artists, scholars and audiences to re-examine the Constitution’s 75-year journey through the lens of creative practice. By fostering dialogue across disciplines, the event reinforced the enduring role of art as both a mirror to society and a catalyst for thoughtful change.

After months of intense cold, getting up late, sleeping in late I was left without feeling a sense of yes, I have done it, I finally today found my day restored. It was as simple as getting back to my physical space that had given me so much comfort before. I have a beautiful office, small compact and well done to suit my writing and reading habits and finally almost after eight months I went back to it. The space enveloped me with total warmth and love. I felt finally that this was I was lacking all this while. I needed to just get back to my most loved space that I had somehow neglected over the months.

All of us I am sure have beautiful spaces in our homes where we find peace, maybe just as simple as a sofa or a comfortable desk. However we often avoid going there feeling that space is redundant and no longer serves the purpose for which it was constructed. Maybe that room gives just so much grief, so we want run away from it, we refuse to enter to enter and try and create new spaces in nameless domains. However we are yet never able to own it and hence we are at a loss. I see this as a blind refusal, a blind negation to create a new routine to back to the old one. I also see this as being thankless and to be harsh enough to say callous to a space maybe created with great love, fostered with warmth and growth of thoughts and ideas.

I would only gently nudge people to get back to disorganised spaces not because I wish them to find the keys to face their grief and remain there to be disheartened but to find new comforts. This time the new joys could be with others who wish to create a magical garden with you, each step together confident and delightful. Dear Readers, I urge you to find your comfortable magic spot at home to claim it back with the same love and care as always done before. Give it that special hug that it needs maybe with a song, maybe with a painting hung or just flowers on the desk that will always smile back at you.

Reading at IHC
From my new book
The poem ‘Kilmoras and Hisalus’,
About my childhood
In Fernlodge Barlowgunj,
And the denizens
Of that village.

By Rachna Joshi

Kilmoras and Hisalus

Eating kilmoras and hisalus

On the way to Naala Pani
Past the Old Brewery
And Sikandar Hall.

Fern Lodge perched atop a hillside
With peach and plum trees
Trailing along a slope.

Below, the cowshed
Where the gwala comes to milk the cows
And to keep encroachers at bay
Who are creeping up the hillside.

Barlowgunj Market
With Chaman Lala’s shop
And the schoolchildren
From St. George’s
Coming for tuck.

Chachi and Buaji in the kitchen
On stilts
Churning out pots of soup.

The old piano in the drawing room
Which children liked to play.
Patties and pastries in the evening.
Granpa’s green fingers in the nursery
Where there were fuschias and begonias
As well as a beehive.
Hydrangeas in the gardens

Rhododendron Squash

Mountains are a special place
Where the mind soars
Above the mundane
and how creativity flowers
among the cedars and rhododendrons.

Granma making rhododendron squash.
Her deft fingers cutting the flowers
And cooking them
In sugar syrup.

This is how I would
Like to remember
My childhood
In Fern Lodge Barlowgunj.
Mussoorie Modern School

I remember
The pipes used to freeze
In winter in Chaman Estate.
In the hostel dorms
The matron used to change our clothes.

I remember the Tibetan teacher
Putting butter and salt
In her tea
In the mess.
Thal jus mukh, kator jus aankh.

Mr. Viegas, the Principal,
With his wife Shirley and daughter Candy
In a cottage by the side.
Framed by flowering beds.

Driving to Dehradoon

Driving to Dehradoon
Passing Duckchick
And Chital at Khatauli.
Seeing the travelers and itinerants.

Having pakoras and chai,
With the canal nearby
And the bridge.

Attending the Doon readings
At Hotel Aketa in Rajpur.
With Mountain Echoes, Penguin
And Doon Library.

Shekhar Pathak, Ruskin Bond
And Anjali Nauriyal,
Poetry of the hills.

The stately Rajpur Road
With Daalanwaala and
Welham Girl’s High School.
Astley Hall and Ellora’s.

The Tibetan monastery
At the end of the road
Near Sahastradhara.

Getting caught in traffic jams
While returning on Easter
From Dehradoon.

Seemadwar

Walking to Seemadwar
After eating khichri
And passing Jagdamba’s shop
At Indiranagar.

Mrs. Chaturvedi’s house
And HARC.
Shukla Marriage Bureau
And Anurag Paudhshala.

Sun Chasers
Where Sumitaji
Is having a conversation
With the owner.
A budding romance.

Ganga Aarati

Ganga Aarati
At Haridwar
With diyas floated
On the Ganges,
And the waving of lamps.
Chanting and singing.

RACHNA JOSHI

Rachna Joshi is a poet and reviewer who has lived in India and North America. She has written five collections of poems: Configurations (Rupa & Co., 1993); Crossing the Vaitarani (Writer’s Workshop, 2008); Travel Tapestry (Yatra Books, 2013); Monsoon and Other Poems (Tethys, 2020); and Unraveling (Authors Press, 2024) She has a master’s in Creative Writing from Syracuse University in upstate New York, and has been widely published in magazines and anthologies in India and abroad. She worked as Senior Assistant Editor at the India International Centre, Delhi, for 28 years and lives in Noida, U. P. 

Bhopal. Vanmali Srujan Kendra, Bhopal unit organized a special poetry recitation series called ‘Kavi Saptak’ in the Muktdhara Auditorium of Rabindranath Tagore University on 23 December 2024. In which talented poets of Rabindranath Tagore University and Scope Global Skill University mesmerized the audience with their creations.

In this program, Shashwat Verma, Ashi Dixit, Vikrant Bhatt, Vishakha Rajurkar Raj, Mudit Srivastava and Mausami Parihar recited their poems, which immersed the auditorium in literary essence. Shashwat was seen communicating with his inner self in his poems, while the freshness of language was seen in Ashi’s poems. Vikrant presented his curiosities in poetry. Vishakha scattered the rainbow colors of love in her poems. Mudit worked to bind the events of life and the fine lines of nature in language. Mausami expressed her tender restlessness through poems.
The program was presided over by Dr. Veena Sinha ji, President of Vanmali Srujan Kendra, Bhopal unit. Who congratulated the poets and shared her views on their poems. Shri Vinay Upadhyay ji also praised the poets and the new experiments done in their creations. At the end of the program, Dr. Savitri Singh Parihar, Coordinator of Sanskrit Oriental Language and Indian Knowledge Tradition Center, expressed her gratitude to everyone. Student Pushpendra, Chairman of Virasat Samiti, conducted the program efficiently, and on this occasion teachers of the Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Arts and students of Natya Vidyalaya were also present as spectators. Due to which the program got a wide and enthusiastic audience. ‘Kavi Saptak’ not only provided a platform to poetry lovers but also promoted literary dialogue and creativity.

A few dew drops rests on the primroses with garden greens

It seems like glistening pearls to a few

But the drying drops knows for sure

That they are indeed not the pearly wealthy whites

But only a few drops of glistening moist moments

On the rich laden scented garden

They might be adorned. only come back may another day

If the willingness of fair weather and fade-in garden days permits

When its time to be heard, prepared to be silent
When its time to be considered, prepared to be hurt
When its time to say how many times more
Be prepared to be reminded your time might never come
In the solace that in your grave site
You will be marked forget or remembered
You will be seen as saint either a saint or a sinner
A fool or a fearless brave
With flowers at your feet or weeds
With no visiting tears or many who will place stones around your bed
To this land we will all go one day
Become the dust where new flowers will grow
Can we be happy only to know
That on our passing by we will
Not be silenced, not be hurt, not be torn apart by inner tears
Its time my friends to see this too
Our saga will be told forever a new

A Small Cottage near the Greens
With Neighbourly kind voices that were once Seen
Oh has Life Ever Been?
That Standing Stillness of Home?
Not to Move out, Not to Move On
The Standing Sense of Home
It’s the Scent of Home, the Sense of Home
The Sense of Hearing, the Sense of Greens…
That Beckons my Mind to Stay in this Hearth
As within the Steady Hands of a Clock Time Unseen
For I Wish not to Forget…not to move on
Not to move out
For that Sense I Belong to that no one Unseen
Are the Living Beats of time enough for me?
Yes, the Beating Steady time Beats are enough for me
Loud, Strong, Clicking, Sounds
Loud Enough to be Heard Forever by Me…

Poetry is to be Heard 

A review by Mandira Ghosh

READINGS: Sounds of Poetry: 

CHAIR: Muzaffar Ali 

COLLABORATION: The Poetry Society, India 

12 December 2023

The recitations in five languages by Dr. Karan Singh brought alive the linguistic diversity of India. He shared some of his favourite poems in English, Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit and Dogri, and said that prose is to be read and poetry is to be heard; life without music and poetry is dull. Muzaffar Ali, who chaired this unique session, urged the celebration of poetry and said that all his works, especially his unreleased film Zooni, were driven by poetry. 

Karan Singh began reciting his favoured poems in a mellifluous voice and sonorous tone. He started with   Wordsworth’s famous poem titled ‘Daffodils’, and went on to read more outstanding poems by poets like W. B. Yeats and Robert Frost. While reading Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’, he mentioned that he himself took the road less travelled and that made all the difference in his life. He explained Frost’s famous words: ‘The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep’ from the poem ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’. He also read Frost’s ‘Fire and Ice’ and said that the world will either end in fire or ice. In this context, he also quoted, ‘Nothing beside remains’ from P.B. Shelley’s ‘Ozymandias’

. He also read the creations of Urdu and Hindi poets like Ghalib, Shakeel Badayuni and Kabir. He chose to recite Kabir’s ‘Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol’ and excerpts from Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas. Going back to his Kashmiri roots, he sang a song in Dogri quite beautifully and concluded the evening with the recitation of ‘Shanti Mantra’ in Sanskrit, uttering Om! 

MANDIRA GHOSH

First Published in IIC Diary (December 2023–January 2024)

समीक्षा: अनिल गोयल

मंच पर कविता का मंचन लगभग बीस-बाईस वर्ष पूर्व देखा था, जब भोपाल से भारत रंग महोत्सव में आई विभा मिश्रा का नाटक ‘उनके हिस्से का प्रेम’ देखा था. मंच पर वही कविता एक बार फिर मंचित होती देखी, वशिष्ठ उपाध्याय के निर्देशन में मकरन्द देशपाण्डे के नाटक ‘सर सर सरला’ में, जिसे संजीव कान्त के रंगसमूह ‘कॉमन पीपुल’ ने ‘श्रृंगार काण्ड’ के नाम से 17 मार्च 2024 को प्रस्तुत किया. प्रस्तुति गुरुग्राम में महेश वशिष्ठ के ‘रूफटॉप’ प्रेक्षागृह ‘रंगपरिवर्तन’ में हुई. इस प्रकार के एक छोटे से, ‘इंटिमेट’ स्टूडियो प्रेक्षागृह में इस नाटक की सुन्दर प्रस्तुति ने अभिभूत कर दिया, कि कविता आज भी जीवित है! प्रकाश की सीमित उपलब्ध व्यवस्था के बीच, अभिनय के अतिरिक्त कोई उपकरण कलाकारों के पास नहीं बचता! और सभी कलाकारों ने उसका भरपूर उपयोग किया!

और मंच पर ही नहीं, कविता दर्शकों के बीच भी विराजमान रही, जहाँ नाटक के दौरान लगभग डेढ़ घंटे में मुझे एक बार भी कोई व्यक्ति मोबाइल पर सन्देश देखता हुआ तक भी नजर नहीं आया! इसे नाटक की प्रस्तुति के उत्कृष्ट होने के प्रमाण के रूप में भी लिया जा सकता है! और मुझे लगा, कि तीन पीढ़ियों को लेकर भी कोई परिवार वहाँ नाटक देखने आया हुआ था! यही चीजें रंगमंच के भविष्य के प्रति विश्वास जगाती हैं!
मंच पर प्रो. जी.पी. पालेकर के रूप में वशिष्ठ उपाध्याय, सरला के रूप में ज्योति उपाध्याय और फणीधर के रूप में तारा सिंह ने अद्भुत कसी हुई प्रस्तुति दे कर दर्शकों को हिलने भर का भी अवसर नहीं दिया! अपनी विद्यार्थी की अनुरक्ति से दिग्भ्रमित से प्रो. पालेकर (वशिष्ठ उपाध्याय), अपने आदर्श अध्यापक के प्रति रसीला अनुराग लिये सरल सी सरला (ज्योति उपाध्याय), और सरला की इस अनुरक्ति से परेशान फणीधर (तारा सिंह), जिसे सरला के एक अन्य साथी केशव के साथ विवाह के दंश को भी झेलना पड़ता है – इन चार पात्रों की इस चतुष्कोणीय प्रेम कथा मनुष्यों के बीच के सम्बन्धों की जटिलता के प्रश्न को बहुत सुन्दर तरीके से प्रस्तुत करती है, जिसमें मंच पर केशव कभी उपस्थित नहीं होता. वशिष्ठ उपाध्याय और ज्योति उपाध्याय ने बहुत कसे हुए तरीके से अपनी भूमिकाएँ निभाई हैं. लेकिन जिस तरीके से तारा सिंह ने एक झल्लाये हुए कुंठित प्रेमी की कठिन भूमिका को निभाया है, जिसमें एक ओर उसके प्रोफेसर हैं, दूसरी ओर वह लड़की है जिसे वह मन ही मन प्रेम करता है, और तीसरी ओर एक अन्य सहपाठी है, जिसके साथ सरला विवाह कर लेती है, वह दर्शनीय था!
‘कॉमन पीपुल’ की रजत जयन्ती के अवसर पर उन्होंने महेश वशिष्ठ और हरि कश्यप को सम्मानित किया. इस सम्मानित व्यक्तियों साथ मुझ अकिंचन को भी सम्मिलित करके उन्होंने अपनी श्रेष्ठता का ही परिचय दिया!