Dilip Guha, New Delhi: Kalidas ka Katha Lok, a two-day cultural festival curated by Samay Yaan in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), was held at Purana Qila, New Delhi, on 7 and 8 February 2026. The festival aimed to present India’s ancient civilisational heritage as a living and evolving tradition through performances, scholarly discussions, experiential spaces, and interactive programmes inspired by the life and works of Mahakavi Kalidas.
Organised under the theme “Kalidas and His India,” the festival explored the philosophical, literary, artistic, and social dimensions of the period associated with Kalidas. Rather than adhering to strict historical timelines, the event examined the era as a civilisational moment whose ideas continue to influence Indian thought, creativity, and cultural expression. The festival was supported by leading cultural institutions, including IGNCA, the National School of Drama (NSD), and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The inaugural ceremony was attended by Shri Kapil Mishra, Hon’ble Minister of State for Language, Culture and Tourism; Dr Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA; Justice (Retd.) S. N. Dhingra, Founder of Samay Yaan; Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi; and Shri Chittaranjan Tripathi, Director, NSD. Their presence highlighted the festival’s significance as a major cultural initiative.
A key attraction of the festival was the Kalidasa Bands musical competition, which brought together young musicians from across Delhi. College bands presented innovative interpretations of Indian classical and folk traditions using contemporary instruments. The competition was judged by Shri Aman Nath, a renowned composer, and Shri Rakesh Bhardwaj, a member of the band Euphoria. Participating teams included Naksha, Nirgun Naad (Manzil Mystic), Mantarang (Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College), and Raagdhara (Santosh Medical College), while Musical Mavericks from GS University performed as a special non-competitive act.
The Nirgun Naad Band from Manzil Mystics presented a performance rooted in India’s literary and spiritual traditions. The organisation works to make music education accessible to children and young people through schools and community engagement. Speaking at the event, Priyanka, a member of the band and a Learning Through Music Fellow, explained that they regularly conduct music classes in schools and communities. At the festival, the band performed the Kabir bhajan “Ghat Ghat Mein Panchhi Bolta Hai,” highlighting themes of self-awareness and inner responsibility. Reflecting on the festival, she described it as a meaningful initiative to promote Indian literature and cultural understanding.
Theatre was another major component of the festival. A specially curated three-act play on the life and works of Mahakavi Kalidas, staged by NSD, was presented by sixteen theatre artists. Designed and directed by Shri Ramji Bali, the production explored Kalidas’s transformation from legend to literary icon, incorporating adaptations of Abhijnanashakuntalam and Vikramorvashiyam while preserving their classical essence for contemporary audiences.
The festival also featured experiential spaces that allowed visitors to engage directly with traditional practices. These included demonstrations of attar-making, ancient Indian board games, traditional culinary practices, and Brahmi script calligraphy. Ms. Vidula from Khol Khel shared that the organisation has revived nearly 75 ancient Indian board games, many recognised under NEP 2020, highlighting their relevance for cognitive development and intergenerational learning.
Scholarly dialogues formed a central pillar of the programme, with historians, scholars, and thinkers discussing topics such as ancient Indian trade routes, governance systems, science, philosophy, and aesthetics. Distinguished speakers included Sushri Neera Mishra, Shri Balbir Punj, Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi, Dr Ranjana Aggarwal, and Capt. Praveen Chaturvedi, whose participation added depth to the festival’s intellectual discourse.
Musical performances such as Taal Yudh, a percussion ensemble featuring instruments including tabla, pakhawaj, ghatam, mridangam, and dholak, captivated audiences. The event featured artists Shri Varun Rajasekharan, Shri Manohar Balatchandirane, Shri Zargham Akram Khan, and Shri Mahavir Chandrawat, along with melodic performances by Shri Ravinder Rajput (flute) and Shri Soumendra Goswami (sitar).
Justice (Retd.) S.N. Dhingra, Chairman – Samay Yaan, said, “Kalidas ka Kathaalok is our attempt to bring ancient India out of textbooks and make it a live experience. We are not recreating history as a spectacle, but opening a space where stories, ideas, and emotions from 2000 years ago can be felt again. By combining performance, craft, music, and conversation, the festival allows people—especially young audiences—to engage with Kalidas and his world and feel the vibrant Bharat of his era.”
Project Head – Katha Lok Ms Bharti Dhingra said, “This festival is built around listening to stories, to places, and to the questions ancient India was curious about love, power, nature, and society. Kalidas ka Kathaalok does not tell audiences what to think about the past. Instead, it creates the atmosphere that allows reflection and dialogue. By setting these experiences within Purana Qila, we invite visitors to move through history physically and emotionally, making the past feel present rather than distant.”
The festival concluded with Sur Samay Yaan, a grand musical presentation featuring 30 artists. Conceived and narrated by Pandit Abhay Rustum Sopori and inaugurated by Shri K. Satish Nambudiripad, Director General of Doordarshan, the performance traced the journey of Indian music from its origins to contemporary classical and folk expressions, offering a comprehensive musical finale to the event.