Anubandha at NGMA Bengaluru: A Festival Bridging Art, Nature & Ecology

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December 12, 2025

Celebrating the Bond between Art and Nature

The creative spirit of Bengaluru is buzzing with the spirit of creativity and nature as the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA Bengaluru) is set to host the “Anubandha: Celebrate Art in Nature.” This is a multisensory festival designed to amplify the bond between nature, self, and art. The festival is scheduled to run from December 12th to 21st, 2025. The festival is orchestrated in collaboration with The Naturalist School and Lila, an Artist Research Studio that wholeheartedly invites all to rediscover the enigma of the world through nature. The festival is hosting an immersive event that seeks to chip in ecology, collective learning, and a multimodal endeavour.

The event is slated to continue for 10 days in the NGMA campus, and it aims to transform the environment of the venue into a psychedelic panorama entailing a plethora of notions, dialogues, workshops, performances, and walks. These animated themes promise a simple yet profound impact of the artworks on the spectators. People can expect to get awestruck by the vibrancy of nature presented through art.

A Portal To Nature

The credo of Anubandha is that there are countless ways to know nature and every one of them matters.” The festival espouses heterogeneous formats, such as guided story walks through galleries, workshops on creative expression, and a bout on natural history, which creatively coalesces scientific curiosity with field-based learning.

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Visitors are highly heartened to join the art and ecology walks where paintings and installations serve as visual reflections of ecological impression, biodiversity, and climate histories. These walks offer a revitalizing experience, allowing attendants to understand how artists interpret nature and its tensions and fragile balance. People become more than just passive viewers, as they are constantly encouraged to “wander through” and have active participation.

The premise of NGMA is adorned like a living laboratory where art, ecology, and human experience intertwine. For people who are interested in experiential learning, the Pop-Up DIY Nature Corners invite participants to engage in mindful creative activity. Under the guidance of able naturalists, people can sketch, observe textiles, collect impressions, and craft tiny notebooks. The organizers have made it clear: “No experience needed; just wander in, play, and discover what your hands can learn from the wild.” This approach reflects the sense of inclusivity propounded by the organizers to make the festival accessible to all. Here, “curiosity” is treated as the only prerequisite for participation.

The Creative Encounters

Anubandha’s workshops extend to art, design, and nature-based creativity. These activities are solely designed with the aim to invigorate people’s bond with nature. Each session is well curated and leads to a saga of exploration that involves persistent observation, field journaling, and much more. The festival also sets foot into performative and cinematic experiences. The rawness of the festival is well represented through live performances. Wildlife screenings are also scheduled to teleport viewers into distinct distant habitats. The “docu-dialogues and natural history learning sessions” amalgamate scientific documentation and storytelling.

The finely spearheaded photography exhibition is also one of the major attractions. It behaves as a visual aid that depicts how people engage with nature. The displayed images function as an aperture into how individuals perceive, sense, frame, and respond to the non-human stimuli.

The Juncture of Art and Ecology

Anubandha shines bright as it celebrates diverse art forms and highlights how artists, scientists, and everyday observers use their physical presence to deal with the environment. Attendees can look forward to exploring various art forms inspired by landscapes, species, and ecological moods. It weaves an inclusive space for people to freely converse about ecology, environment, and climate and connect directly to specialists, students, and laypeople. The major emphasis lies on promoting ecological literacy.

Event details

Aspects	Details
Festival Title	Anubandha: Celebrate Art in Nature
Venue	National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bengaluru
Dates	December 12th to 21st, 2025
Time	11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Collaborators	The Naturalist School & Lila – Artist Research Studio
Workshops & DIY Corners	Hands-on sessions in art, journaling, crafting, leaf rubbings, design, and nature-based creativity
Guided Walks & Docu-dialogues	Gallery walks connecting art and ecology, alongside natural history sessions encouraging scientific curiosity.
Film Screenings & Performances	Wildlife films and live performances inspired by landscapes, species, and ecological moods.
Photography Exhibition	Visual showcases capturing the many ways people connect with nature.

Key Highlights

Art-and-ecology gallery walks that deepen engagement with natural themes
Pop-Up DIY Nature Corners encouraging spontaneous creativity
Natural history learning sessions led by experts
Wildlife film screenings transporting viewers into ecological frontiers
Photography exhibitions showcasing diverse engagements with nature
Live performances embodying natural energies and moods
A ten-day public festival focusing on accessibility, curiosity, and ecological connection

Why Anubandha Matters Today

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The festival feels more like an authentic call to reconnect with our naturalistic roots. A festival like ‘Anubandha’ reminds us that some of the deepest learning happens when we step away from the screen and use our hands, our bodies, and our senses to interact with the raw, untamed reality of nature. By creating an accessible entry point into ecology through art, it democratizes learning about the environment without a stringent academic jargon. At a time when environmental crises intensify, festivals like Anubandha become essential cultural interventions. They restore the sense of responsibility and empathy in people and make them more accountable for their actions in relation to the natural environment. The experience promises to be an aide-memoir that we are not just in nature, but we are nature.

Why UNESCO Recognised Deepavali as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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Kriti Sen

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December 11, 2025

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UNESCO-Recognised-Deepavali-as-an-Intangible-Cultural-Heritage-of-Humanity-01 — Image Source

The concept of the triumph of light over darkness is central to Indian culture, and the festival that celebrates it, Deepavali, has recently received its highest global validation. The festival of lights has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH). This announcement was made following the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which represents the Indian festival beyond its religiosity and highlights it as a global festival. UNESCO’s framework highlights living traditions through criteria like continuity, community participation, and cultural diversity, which are globally represented through the Indian diaspora. This recognition was formally adopted on December 10, 2025, at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi. The event marked the sixteenth cultural element from the nation to be featured on this prestigious list, such as yoga, kumbh mela, Durga puja, etc.

Deepavali As a Living Tradition

The nomination of Deepavali was secured under the domain of “Social practices, rituals and festive events.” This categorization pushes the objectivity of the festival beyond its historic ties and designates it as a living heritage that has been passed down through generations. This also justifies the role of Deepavali in promoting social cohesion, support towards traditional artisanalship, and core societal values like generosity and hope. The festival spans five days, beginning with Dhanteras and culminating in Bhai Dooj. This festival is not restricted to the Hindus alone; it is well-celebrated by Jains, Sikhs, and certain Buddhist communities as well. The festival symbolizes the return of Rama for Hindus, the event of Mahavira’s nirvana in the Jaina traditions, and Bandi Chhor Divas for Sikhs.

The festival encompasses people of all age brackets, all genders, and all backgrounds, transmitting rituals where the elders instruct the children on preparations and celebrate the proceedings together. Furthermore, oil lamps are lit, stories are recited, traditional food is prepared, and pujas are performed. These practices recreate cultural memory, making the festival a continuous source of joy and bonding. UNESCO advocates for the safeguarding of these traditionally crucial practices to be sustained to keep the authenticity intact.

Beyond this prospect, Deepavali also functions as a corridor of economic boom. In different regions, it also marks the beginning of agricultural transitions. In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Deepavali signals the end of monsoons and the beginning of a new business year. In North India, it represents renewal and purification.

Inscription Details

UNESCO Inscription	Details
Official Name of Listing	Deepavali
Inscription Year	2025 (Adopted December 10, 2025)
Location of Committee Session	Red Fort, New Delhi (20th Session)
Domain of Heritage	Social practices, rituals, and festive events
Status for India	16th element on the UNESCO Representative List
Core Values Reinforced	Victory of light over darkness, social unity, hope, and generosity
UNESCO’s Criteria	Deepavali meets UNESCO’s criteria of community-driven transmission, representation of cultural diversity, and safeguarding of traditional knowledge systems.
Ritual Complexity	The festival includes rituals, oral traditions, performative arts, culinary practices, and household customs that differ regionally yet remain unified in meaning.

Key Highlights

Deepavali fulfils UNESCO’s emphasis on living heritage sustained through community participation.
It encompasses a wide array of intangible practices: rituals, folklore, performing arts, culinary knowledge, and social customs.
The festival functions as a cultural bridge across religious groups, regions, and diasporic communities.
Its adaptive nature allows continuous renewal, ensuring long-term viability.
Deepavali’s symbolism reinforces collective values of hope, moral renewal, and social cohesion.

The Responsibility of Recognition

The inscription of Deepavali in the globally acknowledged list of intangible heritage is a proud moment for all citizens of India. However, it also brings a pile of responsibilities upon everyone. This global recognition is not the end of the goal, but the initiation of a journey to make a festival a means for a better tomorrow. It is a mandate to safeguard and ensure the tradition is authentically transmitted and traditional elements are protected and not subject to homogenization. It also aims to protect the warmth of diyas and homemade traditional food from getting replaced with modern-day commercial items.

It functions as a reminder for all of us to consciously choose our living heritage and carry forward the continuum of our celebrations. Deepavali’s global presence today demonstrates the capacity of cultural practices to travel, adapt, and unite communities. Thus, UNESCO’s honour is a validation of the deeper human requirements for continuity, meaning, and shared celebrations.

The Body Speaks at Art Incept: A Bold New Lens on Contemporary Indian Art

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Kriti Sen

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December 11, 2025

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Articulating the Ineffable: “The Body Speaks”

Gurugram’s South Point Mall houses ‘Art Incept,’ a gallery known for supporting emerging and mid-career artists from South Asia. This time, the gallery is featuring “The body speaks,” a group exhibition curated by Rahul Kumar, running from December 5th, 2025, to January 10th, 2026. This exhibition taps the inner contours of human experience and translates them through canvases. The premise of the event is to perceive the human body as “canvas, vessel, and voice.” The exhibition features the work of 5 artists, namely Badush Babu, Deepanjali Shekhar, Indu Antony, Isha Sharma Haritash, and Rinku Choudhary. In their art, the body becomes the medium through which stories of labour, grief, joy, desire, and social injury are narrated.

The Body as Canvas, Vessel, and Voice

In the history of art, no other motif has possibly enjoyed the privilege of multiple subjectivity as the “humans”. The exhibition positions the human body as the “first landscape.” The body becomes the living archive of time and life. Every curve and scar bears the weight of care, exhaustion, aegin, and desires. Curated by Rahul Kumar, whose previous curatorial projects like ‘Precarious’ and ‘Original Shadows’ have also tackled profound human and artistic concerns, the exhibition sought to reveal the “inner world” through expressive forms.

The body becomes a metaphor for expressing universal experience. The artists used different media to convey their distinctive styles. These include painting, photography, and mixed media. This wide range of media helps in creating an intersection where almost every aspect of “human life” is touched. It asks pointed questions: What does it mean to belong in a body? How does one negotiate visibility and erasure? What forms can freedom take when the body itself is a site of regulation? The subject of the exhibition is based on the dichotomy of the body, which is vulnerable and resilient at the same time. The works challenged viewers to confront their own physicality and their own stories.

Mapping the Human Form as Archive, Threshold and Voice

A sense of animatedness is invoked in the audience with the ongoing charcoal series, Silent Stories by Badush Babu. He puts forth recollections of his mother’s garden, depicting mushrooms, vines, moths, and other organic elements that symbolize growth, decay, and metamorphosis. He named it the “healing touch” and created it during a difficult phase of life. As he attempted to cope with the difficulties, nature accompanied him, becoming his healer and easing the process of dealing with turbulences in life. His purposeful reliance on charcoal and soot crosses the peripheral understanding of aesthetics. He himself spoke about the medium as metamorphic. The imperfect texture of coal and soot personifies the instability of both memory and the body.

Deepali Shekhar views the human body as an evolving inner ecology. Her paintings, titled “Stages of growing up,” “They are welcoming in nature,” and the “Dance of Joy” series, together construct an organism-like motif. The core of her presentation is unspoken emotions, and these are aptly translated through botanical forms and microbiological structures.

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Indu Antony, from her Archive of Memories and Names they called series, forges a sharper social and feminist character into the exhibition. She works with cyanotype prints, combined with her own hair and khadi cloth painstakingly embroidered with words. This technique helps her depict the human body as a wounded text. Names they called emerge from her long-term engagement with gendered abuse and eve-teasing, where derogatory words hurled at women are literally stitched onto a fabric using the artist’s own hair strands. Upon viewing, it appears like an exorcism of trauma. Her Archive of Memories series further augments the theme via photographic processes. The body is never directly depicted, yet obsessively indexed through traces in hair, cloth as skin, cyanotype as ghost-image.

Isha Sharma Haritash, and Rinku Choudhary also contribute to this saga with their untitled works, where fragments of the body appear to oscillate between presence and disappearance. Their artworks contribute to the plurality of the exhibition.

The Exhibition At a Glance

Aspects	Description
Exhibition Title	The Body Speaks
Curator	Rahul Kumar (also credited as @rahulclaystudio)
Venue	Art Incept, 227 South Point Mall, Gurugram
Duration	December 5, 2025 – January 10, 2026 (Preview on Dec 5th)
Timings	11:00 am – 6:30 pm, closed on Sundays
Core Theme	The human body is explored as a metaphor for expression, identity, vulnerability, and resilience.
Featured Artists	Badush Babu, Deepanjali Shekhar, Indu Antony, Isha Sharma Haritash, and Rinku Choudhary
Media	Drawing, charcoal works, cyanotype, textile-based installation, mixed-media photography

Key Highlights

Curated, conceptually cohesive show that explicitly frames the body as canvas, vessel, and voice rather than mere subject.
Strong material dramaturgy: charcoal, cyanotype, hair, cloth, and intricate drawing push the idea of the body beyond representation into tactility and residue.
Participating artists span different regions and life experiences, bringing together ecological, feminist, psychological, and autobiographical perspectives on the body.
The exhibition is embedded in Art Incept’s broader mandate to support emerging voices and critical discourse around contemporary Indian art.
The show is accessible yet conceptually layered, inviting both casual viewers and informed audiences to reflect on how bodies carry memory, violence, care, and transformation.

Takeaway

Today, bodies are constantly constrained by law, technology, and social norms. Amidst such a climate, The Body Speaks feels like a necessary provocation that speaks on behalf of the body, that it must listen to its own terms. The exhibits refute the easy, spectacularised images of human form. It displays a quieter part of the struggle and stresses more on pain, care, solitude, and healing. It becomes a space where people can intellectually reclaim their bodies and converse with their inner selves. Every artwork feels like a relatable self-reflection and re-evaluates the body as our home. Art Incept continues to solidify its role as a vital cultural hub, bridging the gap between emerging South Asian talent and a globally conscious art audience.

First Selfie of India: The Manikya King Who Froze Time with a Lens

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Kriti Sen

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December 10, 2025

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In an age when the world was yet to grasp the essence of photography, one princely figure from a little-known corner of northeastern India redefined time and technology. Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya of Tripura, also known as the ‘vikramaditya of modern age’, along with his consort, a Manipuri Meitei princess Khuman Chanu Manmohini Devi, not only composed lyrical verses and nurtured music but also captured moments through the lens— leaving behind what many believe to be India’s first “selfie” or “self-shot portrait”. This article traces the multifaceted legacy of this visionary monarch who fused tradition with technology and art with administration to lay the cultural foundations of modern Tripura.

The Beginning of Photography

In the 21st century, almost everyone is a photographer with great cameras fixed on our devices. But, long before phones and photo apps, the camera arrived in India as a strange, boxy invention called the ‘camera obscura’, a lens, a mirror, and a sheet of paper, ensnaring light like never before. It was a miracle draped in science. In the early 1800s, two English brothers, Thomas and William Daniell, travelled in India with this mystery box. It was their overseas contemporary, W.H. Fox Talbot, who invented ‘negatives’, allowing innumerable ‘prints’ from a single shot. He called it the ‘calotype’, meaning “the beautiful”. And this invention simply overturned the fate of photography forever.

Arrival of the Camera in India

By the 1830s, cameras were quietly clicking in India. Even Louis Daguerre, the French inventor of the ‘daguerreotype’, left his mark. In Calcutta around 1840, a man named Monsieur Montaino used this technique to capture early glimpses of Indian life. Soon, Photographic Societies sprang up in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, backed by the British elite. They published journals, held exhibitions, and turned photography into a ‘fashionable pursuit’. The discourse of photography in India was surely not restricted to a ‘hobby’. In 1839, the British began using photography as a powerful tool. It reflected the subjugated culture of the subjects through the frames of the conqueror. The Indians were photographed by Westerners to strengthen their ideas about the “other”. Alongside, they also captured India’s architecture, mapped its monuments, and catalogued its people. The camera became inseparable in the field of ‘ARCHAEOLOGY’. Men like Alexander Cunningham and Lord Canning saw it as the perfect medium to document India’s ancient past, to preserve what was ‘vanishing’.

The Case of Tripura

In the tranquil corridors of ‘Nuyungma’ or ‘Ujjayanta Palace’, as named by Rabindranath Thakur, during the 1880s, Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya devised a way to capture an image of himself and his queen, taken using what Bir Chandra’s great-great-great grandson Vivek Dev Burman terms “a long wire shutter control” activated via a pneumatic bulb in the king’s hand as the couple sat facing their camera. This strikingly intimate photograph frames the king affectionately embracing the queen. Such a pose juxtaposes the typical portrayal of a royal pair in a traditional sense. Surprisingly, this experimentation with portraiture resulted in ‘India’s first selfie’, as it did more than freeze a moment in time; it framed a king’s obsession with his craft, innovation, and identity.

A Palace Turned Into a Living Darkroom

He possessed one of the first two cameras that arrived in the Subcontinent (the other was purchased by Raja Deen Dayal, perhaps funded by the Indore state) and was photographing ‘Daguerreotypes’ in the 1860s. He developed all the fresh techniques of photography. The craft of photography in the late 19th century clung to the typical European photographic portraits that were accepted as ‘examples’ and were presented with props, costumes, and painted backgrounds.

Breaking the European Frame

Maharaja-Bir-Chandra-Manikya-01 — Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya, King of Tripura, 1862-96 – Wikimedia

But Maharaja Bir Chandra approached his craft differently. He consciously chose to break the continuum and began experimenting at the Agartala palace. Forthwith, the palace housed a dedicated studio where settings were frequently changed to keep things ‘fresh’. With exposures lasting 10–20 seconds, photography emerged as a collaborative and meticulous process. The photographic materials were sourced from Calcutta, involving a long and tedious journey. The Maharaja soon forged his own “photo darkroom”, mastered the processes of coating and developing, and began importing photographic chemicals and equipment independently.

Building India’s First Royal Camera Club

Maharaja Bir Chandra institutionalized his passion for photography by founding “The Camera Club of the Palace of Agartala” and initiating an annual photography exhibition at the palace. (Memory project) He held the yearly photo exhibition at Agartala to encourage the princes, nobles, and people in the state. His craft became so renowned that the American photographic journal, namely “Practical photographer”, published the illustrated biography of Maharaja in one of its publications. In a holistic sense, it was during his reign that the true beginning of Tripura’s modern age occurred.

When the Queen Became a Photographer

The-First-Selfie-of-India — Selfie of Maharaja Birchandra with the queen Maharani Manamohini in 1880 – Wikimedia

In the May 1890 edition of the Photographic Society of India’s journal, a letter penned by Radharaman Ghosh, secretary to the Maharaja of Tripura, titled “The Camera Club of the Palace of Agartala,” offered insights into a royal photographic endeavour. Though signed by Ghosh, the content was likely dictated by Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya himself and accompanied a set of photographs submitted to the journal. Interestingly, some of the images were credited to the Maharaja, others were said to have been taken by his consort, Maharani Manmohini. This resurfaced in Siddhartha Ghosh’s landmark 1988 book, Chobi Tola: Bangalir Photography Chorcha. Ghosh highlights that Maharani Manmohini not only took photographs but also printed most of them, while the Maharaja handled much of the developing. Each image, he notes, bore a distinct identifier marking its creator. Therefore, Maharaja’s passion for photography transcended the boundaries of his personal pursuit, as his third wife, Monmohini Debi, became an amateur photographer under his guidance. Manmohini seems to be the first Indian woman credited with taking photographs, but it is her bhadramahila contemporary Sarojini Ghosh who is recognised as the first Indian woman professional photographer.

The Sons Who Carried the Lens Forward

Some of his platinum palladium prints were part of a 2019 exhibition titled The Tripura Project curated at the Mangalbag Gallery, Ahmedabad, by Tilla, a design studio founded by Aratrik Dev Varman, one of the king’s descendants, including another “selfie” with his first wife, Bhanumati Devi. Bir Chandra’s sons were also avid photographers, carrying their father’s legacy forward. Samarendra (Bara Thakur) was a prolific photographer who regularly submitted his photographs to competitions in England. His work and writings on photography are well documented. One of his most renowned photographs—a portrait of a tribal girl—is preserved at the British Library. Samarendra even experimented with techniques to preserve negatives under the challenging hot and humid conditions of India. His father famously remarked, “Samarendra’s paintings and photographs were near flawless.” Another son, Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya, was likewise a passionate photographer and succeeded to the throne in 1897. Unfortunately, no negatives of their photographic works have been discovered to date.

Important Aspect	Mentionworthy Details
Royal family’s engagement	Bir Chandra’s sons were avid and skilled photographers
Samarendra (Bara Thakur)	Prolific photographer; submitted work to competitions in England. Experimented with techniques to preserve negatives in hot/humid conditions. His renowned portrait of a tribal girl is at the British Library.
Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya	Passionate photographer; succeeded to the throne in 1897
Father’s Remark	Bir Chandra considered Samarendra’s paintings and photographs near flawless
Loss of Archival Material	No negatives of their photographic works have been discovered to date

Key Highlights

Bir Chandra Manikya’s sons carried forward his pioneering interest in photography.
Samarendra (Bara Thakur) gained recognition internationally for his photographic submissions to England.
His iconic portrait of a tribal girl is preserved in the British Library.
He explored techniques to protect photographic negatives in harsh tropical conditions.
Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya was also deeply passionate about photography, alongside his royal duties.
Despite their contributions, none of their original photographic negatives have survived.

Takeaway

The photographic pursuits of Tripura’s royal heirs reflect a remarkable blend of artistic curiosity and technological experimentation. These were rare qualities in princely households of the time. Their engagement with the medium was not only leisurely; it was innovative and internationally relevant. The loss of their negatives is an unfortunate gap in India’s visual heritage, for their works could have offered invaluable insights into the socio-cultural landscape of Northeast India during the late 19th century. Their legacy, however, stands as a testament to a dynasty far ahead of its time.

FAQs on Tripura’s Royal Photographers

Question: Why were the Manikya princes interested in photography?

Answer: They inherited Bir Chandra Manikya’s passion for modern visual culture, treating photography as both an art form and a scientific pursuit.

Question: What makes Samarendra’s work significant?

Answer: His photographs were internationally recognised, technically innovative, and one of his portraits is preserved in the British Library, a rare honour for an Indian prince of that period.

Question: Why are their photographic negatives missing today?

Answer: Poor preservation practices, climatic conditions, and archival neglect likely led to the disappearance of these historically valuable negatives.

Question: Did Radha Kishore Manikya continue the artistic legacy as a ruler?

Answer: Yes. Even after ascending the throne, he remained engaged with photography, reflecting the family’s deep-rooted affinity for the medium.

Question: How does their legacy contribute to Tripura’s cultural history?

Answer: It enriches Tripura’s narrative by highlighting royal involvement in early photography, linking the state to global visual culture in the colonial era.

Three Moderns at IIC Delhi Showcases Himmat Shah, Krishen Khanna & Thota Vaikuntam

By

Kriti Sen

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December 10, 2025

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A Rare Sangam of Sculptural Giants at IIC

New Delhi’s International Centre (IIC) has once again transformed into a poignant space hosting the “Three Moderns,” an art exhibition of sculptures by the three iconic masters of Indian art- Himmat Shah, Krishen Khanna, and Thota Vaikuntam. These sculptural marvels are presented by the Namtech Fine Art and are curated by Uma Nair. The exhibition runs from December 12- 22, 2025. This display of masterful craftsmanship bridges the spaces between material, memory, and the human spirit that seeks never-ending things. The exhibition space is a repository of twelve major works that are engraved with the conceptual depths of modern Indian art. The event aims to reassert sculpture as a living and evolving public encounter. This also depicts a unique convergence between historical linkages and metaphors of materials.

The three towering sculptures are distinctively acknowledged for their distinct sculptural forms. Three Moderns unfurls as an aesthetic representative of how identities and lived experience are etched into a perceptible medium, such as stone, cast in bronze, and resinated fiberglass. In the IIC, this exhibition is housed at the Gandhi King Plaza.

The Vision Behind the Art

The master curator, Uma Nair, has previously spearheaded five watershed sculptural projects at the Gandhi King Plaza. And this time, she envisoned the energy and design of Three Moderns. She views the exhibition as an act of creation in itself. She stated, “Curating an exhibition of Three Indian Moderns at the Gandhi King Plaza is about creating a feeling, an energy formed through the synergy of great artistic minds.” In her opinion, time becomes witness and sculpture becomes language.” The venue’s spatial orientation, under the open sky surrounded by a lush green canopy, makes the sculptures appear more lively.

The Art & The Artists

Krishen-Khanna-Sculpture-1 — Artwork – Krishen Khanna

This exhibition critically reflects on the artistic practice of those stalwarts whose craft has played a massive role in shaping modern art. Among them, Krishen Khanna has marked a century of an illustrative artistic career. This exhibition houses his masterpieces from the celebrated Bandhwallah Series. The Bandhawallah figures are also very well-known in his paintings. However, their depiction in sculptural forms amplifies their significance. The sculptures represent figures of humble street musicians as a symbol of celebration. His carvings are uniquely chiseled into resin-impregnated fiberglass. Krishen Khanna’s figures are presented in simplified forms that connect the “personal” to the “peripheral” and create deep resonance in the heart of the viewer. As he was the last among the progressive group, his artwork reverberates the modernist approach that incorporates the “everyday Indian experience.”

Himmat-Shah-Sculpture-1 — Artwork – Himmat Shah

Another stalwart whose sculptures adorn the space is Himmat Shah. He was an important member of Group 1890, a notable but brief artists’ collective founded by J. Swaminathan that spearheaded radical artistic expression. He is one of India’s most senior and revered sculptors. His medium of expression is stone. His “heads” are acclaimed as anachronistic but also possess an idiosyncratic contemporary touch, which is exquisitely eloquent. Himmat Shah’s work on textured stone turns out to be a meditative process of dealing with time and patience. He stripped the stone from multiple fronts to mould it in a way that pleases him. His art is a journey that is aptly reflected in every incision. His stone models scream the stories of ancient civilizations, migration, exile, and survival. The curvatures created in the granular surfaces of stones leave a permanent array of deep-seated sentiments.

Thota-Vaikuntam-Sculpture-A1 — Artwork – Thota Vaikuntam

Apart from these two, Thota Vaikuntam introduces his expatriates through bronze work from his series “The Sacred Gaze”. He is noted for his animated depiction of the rural life of Telangana. His bronzes are ritualistic in orientation and are sculpted with a spiritual outlook. The surfaces he painted reflect the earthly hues of the Deccan, offering a delightful peep into the rural landscape. He beautifully celebrates the rawness of rural life with dignity and grace.

The Exhibition at A Glance

Important Points	Description
Exhibition Title	Three Moderns: Sculptures by Himmat Shah, Krishen Khanna, Thota Vaikuntam
Artists	Himmat Shah, Krishen Khanna, Thota Vaikuntam
Curator	Uma Nair
Presented By	Namtech Fine Art
Venue	Gandhi King Plaza, IIC, New Delhi
Date & Timings	(12th – 22nd December 2025) 11 AM – 7 PM
Number of Works	12 Sculptures
Materials Used	Marble, Bronze, Stone, Resinated Fiberglass
Context	A rare confluence of three distinct sculptural languages rooted in memory and identity
Tribute	Honours the late Prof. M.G.K. Menon, a champion of Indian sculpture at the IIC

Key Highlights

A rare public convergence of three modern Indian masters in a single sculptural exhibition.
Krishen Khanna’s centenary year is marked by monumental sculptural interpretations of the Bandwallah series.
Himmat Shah’s stone heads as archaeological and existential metaphors of time and migration.
Thota Vaikuntam’s rural Telangana-inspired bronzes foreground spirituality and everyday ritual.
Curated by Uma Nair, known for shaping the sculptural legacy of the Gandhi King Plaza.
Hosted in an open public plaza, reinforcing sculpture as a civic and democratic art form.
Tribute to the late Prof. M. G. K. Menon and his enduring cultural vision for IIC.

A Critical Perspective

In the broader dimension of Indian modern art, the Three Moderns occupy a very significant spot as they negotiate the boundaries between artistic endeavors and public spaces. The physicality of these sculptures offers a sensory experience through well-defined, perceptible means of consuming these masterpieces. The most compelling factor of the exhibition is the intelligence put behind the arrangement, with distinct works intersecting as well as complementing each other. The effect is that the viewing of sculpture goes beyond visual consumption; it makes people linger around, see and re-see, and come back again because of an invisible pull. The corpus of these 12 sculptures reiterates the story of modern India in itself, covering a plethora of contexts.

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In recent years, the Three Moderns has been one of the most intellectually acclaimed exhibits. It forms a vital chapter in the ongoing history of Indian Modernism. Shah’s abstract timelessness, Khanna’s social narrative, and Vaikuntam’s rooted ritualism weave a syncretic conscience that respects humanism above all. The main argument shaped by the functionality of these sculptures is that even in a rapidly digitizing world, the power of a solid, tangible form, carved and cast from the earth, remains an irreplaceable vessel for national and personal identity.

Visiting this classic visual retreat is a wholehearted recommendation, as its coverage and beauty demonstrate the very essence of modern Indian sculpture and keep it alive. Three Moderns reminds us that endurance, depth, and integrity remain the truest measures of artistic greatness.

Signs of Life: Kunel Gaur’s Immersive Solo Exhibition at Method Delhi

By

Kriti Sen

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December 10, 2025

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Method Delhi’s winter programme is housing a mesmeric exhibition by artist Kunel Gaur, christened “Signs of Life”. This solo exhibition is on display from December 11, 2025, running until January 25, 2026, with a private preview scheduled on December 10, 2025. His art focuses on capturing the coded tones of the contemporary world and presents those in a very eye-pleasing form. His latest solo explores a hoard of these artistic explorations. Located at D-59, Block D, Defence Colony, this exhibition provides an immersive sensory experience through masterfully engineered pieces that define 21st-century life.

The colours, structures, and codes defined in the paintings of Kunel symbolize the contemporary life of industrial orientation and the mechanization of human life. He employs architectural materials such as wood, concrete, metal, and acrylic to repurpose these elements into his vision of creativity. This method is inspired by functional design and brutalist architecture. His artworks probe into how identity, memory, and emotion move through the niche of art and are featured as elements that represent the rawness of life.

The Prime Foci

The very essence of contemporary life is the heart of this solo. Kunel seeks to explore the nook and corner of how people’s mechanical lives are sculptured by technology, industries, and a new emerging culture. His artistic practice finds its origins in graphic design and architecture. His background is pretty predictable, given the precision of his art forms and the composition. Despite using architectural elements, he skillfully makes the art appear “soft.” This reflects vulnerability, trapped memories, and emotional dregs.

The emotional warble is synced by the series, Colour Field Studies. Here, the lush environment is held by rigid frames. The visual effect of the series generates a tension, a free-flowing wave of emotions that confides in the void between control and vulnerability. The artist next turns towards the human face in his “Interface Portraits.” However, the catch in his painting is that the human face does not conform to the traditional representations. Rather, these “portraits” are punctuated by signage and mass communication. The “human” identity gets filtered through interfaces that resemble screens, advertisements, or mechanical readouts. The beauty of these portraits is how the emotions are depicted. Humans are not stripped of emotions; they exist, but in a digitized space where they are fragmented and disorganized. This is a very strong stand that reflects the core of human life in the present. This series resonates strongly in an age of algorithmic selfhood, where the self is increasingly known through data, pixels, and profiles rather than flesh and presence.

Other Series

A more mischievous and quaint depiction is introduced to viewers through “KUMI”. This one critically analyses the intellectual dimensions of the exhibition. The artist got inspired form Japanese arts and graphic tradition and the Y2K aesthetics and presented this series in a singular character-like form, which appeared to be quirky and eccentric at first, but when seen through those, they represent a deeper meaning. Graphics become 3-D, blurring the boundaries between surface and structure.

The Tile Assemblies, in contrast, feature the narratives of cultural inheritance and ornament. He uses different kinds of patterns to show that domestic spaces, crafts, and histories are subjected to mechanical restraint and industrial framing. The ornaments he drew, now become more fragmented, controlled, and forced to adapt within a new system. This states a very strong message that tradition is not always the result of seamless continuity, but a reconfigured negotiation with modern infrastructure.

Together, the four of these weave a fabric that constantly shifts between what is perceptible and the other framework that shapes the world. This solo does not give off a linear narrative, but builds many on a common base.

The Exhibition At a Glance

Aspects	Details
Exhibition Title	Signs of Life
Artist	Kunel Gaur
Venue	Method, Delhi (Defence Colony)
Dates	11 December 2025 – 25 January 2026
Core Themes	Sensorial experience vs engineered systems
Major Series	Colour Field Studies, Interface Portraits, KUMI, Tile Assemblies
Artistic Medium	Assemblage, sculptural studies, interface-based portraiture
Broader Inquiry	Identity, memory, industrial design, visual systems

Key Highlights

Brings together four major ongoing series into a unified conceptual presentation.
Gaur’s visual style is deeply inspired by the stripped-down rigor of 90s functionalism and the robust honesty of Brutalist design.
Explores the intersection of emotional life and mechanical systems through material and visual language.
Engages with contemporary urban aesthetics, industrial signage, and graphic design traditions.
Reflects on how identity is mediated through technology, consumption, and interfaces.
Demonstrates Method Delhi’s commitment to experimental and emerging contemporary practices.
Extends Gaur’s internationally exhibited visual vocabulary into a cohesive curatorial narrative.

The Artist and His Craft

Kunel Gaur is a creative director and founder of projects like Indianama. He is an artist who is exceptionally skilled at distilling complex societal observations into minimal, high-impact compositions. He is an electrician, a machinist, and a carpenter rolled into one. His artistic practice is grounded in contemporary material culture. His craft is distinguished by the “technical” aspect, which helps him convert his portraits into refined queries of deep intellect. His paintings showcase the encounter between what is constructed and what is felt. The philosophy imbued in his artworks is of “introspection and extrospection.” His art reflects the interior pockets of the inner self as well as the superficial engagement with the socio-political realities. Therefore, The Signs of Life is a fragment of a bigger conversation amongst the art, the artist, and the spectators.

Takeaway

Today, the world is accelerating towards a speedy hybridization. In such circumstances, the artist picks up his tools to create a collection of artworks that compel people to inquire about their lives in an extremely winsome manner. His solo at Method Delhi is very adaptive and risk-taking in nature. He seamlessly departs from the traditional norms of depicting human lives and their mechanizations. Signs of Life is ultimately less about machines becoming human and more about recognising how humans are already within machines. It offers a fresh and rejuvenating perspective, as people ought to feel relatable. Our lives are no more ours; they are dominated by a packed schedule and a mechanized system.

From Meme To Masterpiece: How Brands Remix Internet Humor Into Marketing Gold

By

Cscope Staff

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December 9, 2025

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Memes have transitioned from being simple internet jokes to the hidden awesomeness of modern marketing, and have changed the way that brands speak and connect to entertain. The days of formal advertisements are long gone; now, brands crave relatability, wit, and artistic mindfulness. Every scroll brings a new chance for horselaugh, and the brands that understand this meter are the bones people flash back.

In this world of fast-moving trends, Dreamina helps generators transfigure viral humor into vibrant juggernauts. Its AI video generator gives marketers the capability to bring meme-inspired ideas to life, not just as clips, but as stories that speak the language of the internet. Dreamina islands humor with imagination, helping generators turn comedy into connection.

Memes the Twinkle of a Digital Liar

Memes speak emotion briskly than words ever could. They’re the longhand of the internet, familiar, funny, and incontinently understood. What began as arbitrary images with captions evolved into a new liar language. Brands now use this humor not to vend, but to belong.

A clever meme doesn’t just promote a product; it promotes a feeling. It’s a wink, a nod, and a combined moment between the brand and its followership. That’s why companies are embracing memes as part of their identity. They’re using humor to sound more mortal and less commercial. Some exemplifications include

A snack brand using a trending meme template to poke fun at Joness
A fitness brand pairs a viral joke with a motivational twist.
A tech incipiency remixing old pop brand references for ultramodern humor.

Humor, Timing, and Tone, the Triad of Viral Success

Every viral meme-grounded crusade depends on three unnoticeable vestments: humor, timing, and tone. Humor is the hook, timing is the meter, and tone is the voice. Get the humor right, and a branded smile. Get the timing wrong, and it’s history’s joke. Brands that understand brand’s palpitation, the speed at which trends shift, dominate digital discussion.

Tone, meanwhile, must feel effortless. However, it breaks the vision if humor sounds forced or dissociated. Brand wants to laugh with the brand, not at it. A good tone makes a brand feel like a friend who just gets it.

Visual Creativity with an Image Creator

Behind every meme is a striking image, one that captures emotion incontinently. That’s where an AI image creator becomes a game-changer. It lets generators produce unique illustrations that image internet humor while staying original.

Imagine casting a meme where your brand’s charm joins a trending format, but rather than stealing an image, you induce a fully fresh bone. The AI image generator gives measureless creative freedom, helping brands stand out without copying what’s formerly viral. It turns arbitrary ideas into pictorial, shareable illustrations that catch attention and earn laughs in equal measure.

Micro-stories that move

Meme-inspired vids are the moment’s form of micro-storytelling. They’re short, facetious, and punchy, yet packed with meaning. Each frame, caption, and response is precisely timed to produce a meter that feels natural.

The secret isn’t complexity; it’s timing. brand moment scroll snappily; you have seconds to make them stop. A clever visual paired with an emotional twist can transfigure a small joke into a story they renewed again and again. Meme-ground marketing thrives when it connects through participatory gestures. A funny clip about morning coffee struggles or the internet fails becomes further than a joke; it becomes a glass of real life.

Lights, Laughs, and Circles Dreamina’s 3-way to Creative Magic

Dreamina makes it simple for generators to turn meme-inspired ideas into eye-catching stir stories. With just a few clicks, humor transforms into a looping video masterpiece.

Step 1: Enter the Prompt & Upload Image

Subscribe to Dreamina and head to the “AI video” section and write your prompt describing what kind of video you want to produce.

Illustration: “A funny short clip of a penguin confidently walking into a meeting room wearing sunglasses.”

You can also click on Add reference image to upload your print and let Dreamina do the magic.

Step 2: Induce Your Video

Choose a generation model, select your video’s duration, and set the aspect ratio, 16:9 for YouTube or 9:16 for TikTok. Also hit Dreamina’s icon and let the AI do the magic in seconds.

Step 3: Enhance & Export video

Take your clip to the next level with Dreamina’s tools: the Upscale point increases the resolution, and Generate Soundtrack includes music to fit your style of humor. When you’re done polishing, export your content. Now your creative, meme-inspired creation can be shared across your favorite channels.

Humor as Digital Art

The great part about meme marketing is that it breaks that boundary between humor and creativity. A meme doesn’t just entertain, it inspires. With tools like an AI art generator, generators can give visual depth to their humor, turning ordinary memes into surreal or painterly masterpieces.

These brandural traces don’t abolish humor; they enhance it. They give advertisements a unique identity, a commodity both funny and visually stunning. It’s where horselaugh meets art. This shift shows that memes aren’t disposable presently. They’re getting collectible, pieces of a visual brand that define our digital generation.

Dreamina and the New Age of Marketing Humor

Memes have the emotional palpitation of the internet: hot, clever, and endlessly remixable. Brands that master this form of communication turn transitory moments into lasting impressions.

With Dreamina, that process becomes smoother, brisker, and infinitely more creative. It’s not just a tool; it’s a mate in humor helping generators express wit, timing, and artistic applicability through technology. As memes evolve into ultramodern liar formats, Dreamina ensures that every joke, visual, and caption is drafted to connect, not just to vend. The future of digital marketing isn’t about crying louder, it’s about laughing smarter.

Raabta Lucknow – Calcutta Ka: Inside Mahindra Sanatkada Festival 2026

By

Kriti Sen

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December 9, 2025

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Raabta Lucknow–Calcutta Ka

The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival (MSLF) is the vector of the throbbing pulse of a living heritage that has continued its streak from antiquity. With its forthcoming seventeenth edition, the event marks a renewal of the richness of its own tradition. The theme for MSLF 2026 is “Raabta Lucknow Calcutta Ka” (The Connection between Lucknow and Calcutta). The festival is a highly ambitious exploration of the intimate connection between the two cultural capitals. This festival stands as a luminous pathway between the past and the present. The MSLF was conceived in 2010, and since then, it has beautifully evolved into one of India’s most significant platforms dedicated to celebrating socio-cultural syncretism. As the countdown to the seventeenth edition of MSLF 2026 officially began to tick, the anticipation of the grandeur of the celebration also flourishes. The arrival of the festival in Kolkata with a two-day curtain raiser is scheduled on December 13-14, 2025, at Studio Bari.

The scheduled curtain raiser will act as a prelude to the festival, disseminating its essence with immersive music, walks, panel discussions, and so forth. The prime festival is scheduled to take place from January 30- February 3, 2026. The official launch of the festival in Kolkata is a crucial marker of the acknowledgement of Kolkata as a subject of history and a partner in cultural exchange. The “raabta” will make people encounter the stream of history and emotions associated with the narrative of exile, migration. Artistic patronage, evolved cuisines, music, craftsmanship, and political histories have critically shaped the metamorphoses of the cities. The festival has created descriptive accounts of cultural journals, heritage platforms, etc, that demonstrate how MSLF has consistently swayed beyond the notions of nostalgia. The festival presents heritage as a living entity and as an integral part of our lives. The 2026 edition, curated around Lucknow–Calcutta connections, builds strongly on this philosophy.

The Tale of Two Cities: Oudh and Calcutta

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The thematic core of MSLF 2026 stems from the forced political movement of the Nawab of Awadh to Calcutta in the mid-19th century. The year was 1856, and India was gradually getting engulfed by the company. With the treacherous policy of the Doctrine of Lapse, many states like Satara (1848), Jaitpur & Sambhalpur (1849), Udaipur(1852), Jhansi(1853), and Nagpur (1854) were already annexed. Finally, the cherry of Awadh fell into the British hands in 1856, as the colonial power deposed the then Nawab of Oudh, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, on the pretext of misgovernance. Despite having a legitimate heir, the doctrine was ruptured, and Awadh was absorbed. Subsequently, the deposed Nawab was exiled to the outskirts of Calcutta at Metiabruz. It is said that when the Nawab migrated, he was accompanied by a large retinue of over 6,000 attendants who proceeded with him on his journey. The Nawab also authored under the pen name Akhtar, and he did not let this political instability extinguish his cultural pursuits.

With the Nawab settling at Metiabruz, a hybrid and syncretic culture grew around that settlement and came to be christened as “Chhota Lucknow”. Thousands of retinue, including poets, musicians, craftsmen, and master Chefs (rakabdars) also followed him and found a refuge home. This settlement functioned as a premier site of cultural exchange for virtually three decades. The Awadhi dance form Kathak received further patronage in the Nawab’s new court. Musical genres like Thumri and Ghazal flourished. The most important innovation of all was the formulation of the Kolkata Biriyani with the potato. This sublime culinary excellence was born out of necessity but soon began to dominate the royal kitchens.

The aroma of Awadhi kebabs and the tradition of paan (betel) shops run by descendants of the Nawab’s paanwalas still define the Metiabruz and Kidderpore areas. Crafts also flourished under his patronage, particularly the gold-thread work of Lucknow.

The Celebration

The upcoming curtain raiser in Kolkata will narrate a huge part of this saga and offer an early glimpse into the intellectual and artistic direction of the main festival. The weaves and craft bazaar will be at the heart of the 2026 edition, featuring over 100 artisans from across the country with signature Zardari and Chikankari styles as well.

The extent of the festival can be interpreted through its setting of venues. This year, the festival is expanding its sites into the Qaiser Bagh complex, utilising Safed Baradari, Raja Ram Pal Singh Park, and the Amir-ud-Daulah Library. These venues are critically important as they once functioned as the hubs of the Nawabi culture of Lucknow. There will be literary exchanges, concerts, dance, and poetry in the famous Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.

The Event At a Glance

Aspect	Details
Festival Theme	Raabta Lucknow Calcutta Ka
Curtain Raiser	Two-day prelude in Kolkata (Studio Bari, Dec 13–14, 2025) to launch the theme
Main Festival	Five days (30 Jan – 3 Feb 2026) of crafts, food, performances, and talks in Lucknow
Historical Link	Exile of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah to Metiabruz in 1856, leading to “Chhota Lucknow”
Cultural Events	Shared traditions in Biryani, Kathak, Zardozi, and kite making
Signature Feature	Weaves and Crafts Bazaar
Venues	Safed Baradari, Raja Ram Pal Singh Park, and Amir-ud-Daulah Library, Qaiser Bagh
Core Focus	Living heritage, migration, crafts, music, food, memory

Key Highlights

Immersive music performances reflecting Indo-Awadhi and Bengali cultural syncretism
The theme speaks of migration and adaptation, exploring stories that reach beyond familiar neighbourhoods and well-known histories
Panel discussions on migration, memory, and cultural exchange
Heritage walks tracing shared histories
Expanded Weaves and Crafts Bazaar supporting artisan communities
Focus on zardozi, kite-making, culinary traditions, and textile heritage
The inclusion of many flavours of Lucknow and Kolkata suggests a dedicated focus on the culinary innovations born from the raabta.
Activation of historic sites within the Qaiser Bagh complex
Strong emphasis on living legacies and community-based heritage

Takeaway

The MSLF beautifully proposes heritage as a continuity of human interaction shaped by displacement, adaptation, resilience, and creativity. The current era is synchronizing with cultural homogenization; amidst this ongoing phenomenon, MSLF’s intervention induces a sense of inertia in it. “Raabta Lucknow Calcutta Ka” is a narration of historic truth that demands to be remembered and accepted by people at large. By protracting the focus on the exile of the Last independent ruler of Awadh, MSLF is reclaiming an opportunity to view history from multiple dimensions.

The Upstairs Fest Reimagines Baithaks for a New Generation in Delhi

By

Kriti Sen

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December 9, 2025

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Over the weekend of 13–14 December 2025, music lovers in Delhi have been invited to experience something quite rare: the first edition of Upstairs Fest, presented by Upstairs with Us and hosted at The Kunj in Vasant Kunj. This fest presents a collection of performances and aims at building a deep, emotionally invested community centred around Indian classical music. Founded by Tejas Jaishankar and Sukanya Banerjee, Upstairs with Us was initiated through gatherings in their Vasant Kunj home in 2018. Their core mission is to sanitize the “elite” label off classical music and make it accessible to everyone. The model they adopted is hosting intimate baithaks where artists are paid their fair price, and audiences share a home-cooked meal. This model appeared to be successful and received a lot of praise, and has successfully sold out nearly every event since its formal launch. The Upstairs Fest is the aggregation of this philosophy and is transforming the same warmth into a concentrated two-day mega event, opening doors for more audience to hop in.

A Sneak Peek into The Schedule

This two-day music extravaganza is set to run on the weekends and is structured in a way that places equal emphasis on participatory learning workshops and the concert. This blend of events reflects the organizer’s ideology that true appreciation comes from the understanding and emotional investment in music, not just from passive listening.

The festival will begin on Saturday with the workshop christened as ‘Sam Pe Aana’ (11:30 AM to 1:00 PM). This session will be led by a Tabla artist, Saptak Sharma. This will be a beginner-friendly guide to finding and hearing tāla (rhythm) in classical music. This session is solely aimed at training the untrained ear to receive a better pulse of the concert.

Following this educational start, the afternoon presents a Hindustani Classical Concert (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM). This session is advertised as a “close, quiet concert” featuring Kartikeya Vashisht on the flute. This piece will unfold music at its own pace, infusing an experience of deep presence that contrasts with the contemporary, rushed musical tunes. In the evening, ‘Stories You Wish You Knew: The Uncles and Aunties Who Made Music’ (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM) is scheduled. This session drifts away from the musical aura and brings together the family members of the legendary musicians to share their memories. This humanizes the artists from famous performers to off-stage, real people who are as down-to-earth as ordinary men. This softens the distance between the listener and the tradition they are engaging with.

Day & Date	Time	Event / Session Description
Saturday, 13 December	11:30 AM – 1:00 PM	Workshop: Sam Pe Aana
Saturday, 13 December	3:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Hindustani Classical Concert
Saturday, 13 December	6:00 PM – 7:30 PM	“Stories You Wish You Knew: The Uncles and Aunties Who Made Music”

A similar richness in activities can be traced on Sunday as well. The morning session, ‘Three Phrases to Know a Raag: Bhimpalasi’ (11:30 AM to 1:00 PM), led by co-founder Sukanya Banerjee, demystifies the structure of a rāga. This workshop focuses on viewing the rāga as a unique tune, using the soulful āga Bhimpalasi as a case study. The afternoon session puts a tinge of variety by dedicating the session to Carnatic Classical Concert (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM), ensuring that the festival covers both major traditions of Indian classical music. The festival concludes with ‘Behind Baithaks: Building a Listening Community’ (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM). The last segment will feature hosts from other Delhi-NCR community-focused initiatives like Naadyatra Baithak and Evenings Unplugged.

Day & Date	Time	Event / Session Description
Sunday, 14 December	11:30 AM – 1:00 PM	Three Phrases to Know a Raag: Bhimpalasi
Sunday, 14 December	3:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Carnatic Classical Concert
Sunday, 14 December	6:00 PM – 7:30 PM	“Behind Baithaks: Building a Listening Community”

This fest sets the stage for a gradual drift from the hustle culture that dominates modern lives and the economy. By shifting the focus to intimacy, deep listening, and fair economic practices for the artists, Upstairs With Us is curating a culture based on ethics and purity.

Important Points	Details
Event Name	The Upstairs Fest, December Edition
Organizers	Upstairs with Us (Tejas Jaishankar & Sukanya Banerjee)
Venue & Location	The Kunj, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
Dates	Saturday, December 13th & Sunday, December 14th
Core Philosophy	Democratizing classical music access, ensuring fair pay for artists, and fostering a non-judgmental, deep listening audience
Event Type	Blend of classical concerts (Hindustani and Carnatic) and listener-centric workshops

Key Highlights

The Upstairs Fest isn’t just a festival; it’s a revival of the age-old “baithak,” where music resided in homes, loved and respected by a dedicated listening audience.
The inclusion of workshops (e.g., “Sam Pe Aana”, “Three Phrases to Know a Raag: Bhimpalasi”) shows an emphasis on not just passive listening but active learning and appreciation.
According to press coverage, Upstairs with Us aims to dismantle rigid, elitist notions around classical music concerts — where dress code, social standards, and etiquette often alienate newcomers. They offer accessibility, warmth, and shared meals after the gig.
By charging ticket prices modestly and directing proceeds to artists, Upstairs challenges the conventional system of grants or elite patronage that often limits who gets to perform and who gets to listen.
The fest is inclusive of multiple Indian classical traditions, offering both Hindustani and Carnatic concerts, a rare treat that recognizes India’s musical diversity.

Why It Matters – An Opinion

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The mainstream classical-music ecosystem has long struggled with financial sustainability, accessibility, and elitist norms. Upstairs with us aims to make amends right at this critical juncture. The “home concert” movement challenges all that by offering inclusive, paid, and globally accessible concerts. Also, by having a ticketed model and by channeling proceeds directly to artists, Upstairs is reimagining classical music’s economic foundations.

The scale of this event does not make it feel like just another weekend activity. It marks a subtle shift in how we experience and value classical music in India. It doesn’t just preserve tradition, it rejuvenates it. The organization combines education, performance, storytelling, and community essence, and elevates this genre beyond “entertainment” and honours it as a living heritage of our country.

This movement, built on empathy and ethical practice, offers a vital blueprint for the future of arts patronage. Of course, challenges remain. Sustaining consistent audience interest, ensuring enough revenue to support artists, and so forth. But if the organisers and community remain true to their ethos, Upstairs Fest could become a blueprint for cultural resurgence.

National Handicraft Week 2025: Reviving India’s Artisans Through Digital India Handmade

By

Kriti Sen

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December 8, 2025

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The annual All National Handicrafts Week, observed nationally from December 8th to 14th, is a zestful, week-long dedication to millions of artisans who are the custodians of India’s tangible heritage. This nationwide observance is announced under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, in collaboration with the India Handmade digital platform. This strategic blend of tradition and technology displays an initiative that not only promotes handicrafts as consumable products but also as living cultural legacies and sustainable livelihoods.

The Handicraft Week is projected as a participatory campaign urging citizens to discover, shop, support, and share India’s vast artisanal heritage. The recent promotional drive by @indiahandmademdeofficial on platforms like Instagram represents a transformation in bringing traditional craftsmanship into the modern digital marketplace. This annual celebration serves as a call to action for every citizen to participate in boosting the artisanal economy. It aligns with the national vision of Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India).

Celebrating Centuries of Craftsmanship

The Digital India Corporation develops the campaign. The revolutionary aspect of this initiative is that it operates on a Zero-commission, Zero-portal-fee model. Its primary objective is the direct financial and social empowerment of weavers and artisans by eliminating exploitative intermediaries. The platform ensures that the entire value of the transaction flows back to the creators, helping to stabilize livelihoods and providing access to a global customer base. The Indiahandmade portal showcases an authentic range of handloom and handicraft items, from exquisite Madhubani paintings and rare Muga Silk textiles to intricate Bidriware metal crafts, spanning the entire breadth of India’s state-wise craft identity. By shopping here, consumers directly contribute to preserving skills passed down through generations.

The initiative clearly delineates two crucial ways of public engagement with handicrafts. Citizens are encouraged to discover and shop by visiting the official website and purchasing authentic handmade products. Secondly, people are encouraged to capture a picture of the handmade products and post it on Instagram or other social media, and tag @indiahandmademdeofficial. These engaging actions ensure the visibility of the artisans. The accompanying hashtags, such as #I Stand for Swadeshi and #Be a Proud Indian, frame the consumer to act as a patriotic and culturally conscious choice.

Contextualising The Handicraft Week

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The celebration of the handicrafts week holds a profound historical significance. It pays homage to the Late Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, a celebrated social reformer and freedom fighter recognized for her dedicated efforts in reviving and supporting the Indian handicrafts movement post-independence. This annual focus allows for the revival and showcasing of diverse, regional specialities. It encapsulates everything from the Kalamkari and Etikoppaka toys of Andhra Pradesh and the Sikki grass craft of Bihar, to the gold-hued Muga Silk of Assam and the detailed Kutch Embroidery of Gujarat.

The aim of the government is enormous. It is aiming to onboard over 60 lakh (6 Million) artisans onto the digital platform. The handicraft week successfully bridges the rural-urban divide, delivering authentic, high-quality, and often sustainable products from remote villages and craft clusters directly to urban and global customers, thereby safeguarding the soul of India’s intangible heritage. This model mirrors earlier efforts such as the GeM portal for government procurement, but with a stronger cultural and livelihood orientation.

Scholarly studies on India’s handicraft economy consistently highlight three core challenges. They are – lack of market access, price exploitation by intermediaries, and declining youth participation in hereditary crafts. Thus, in order to bridge it, the handicrafts week directly addresses all these shortcomings. It offers national visibility, encourages direct consumer-artisan interaction, and makes the craft aspirational for younger generations through digital media.

Event Overview

Event	Details
Title	National Handicraft Week 2025
Duration & Date	8–14 December (Annual national celebration)
Organizing Body	Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, via Digital India Corporation
Official Platform	Indiahandmade.com (Zero-commission digital marketplace)
Key Objectives	Financial empowerment, elimination of middlemen, skill promotion, and cultural preservation
Participation Methods	1. Shopping directly on indiahandmade.com. 2. Sharing photos of handmade products on social media and tagging @indiahandmademdeofficial.
Historical Homage	Pays tribute to Late Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay for her contribution to the sector
Core Theme	Vocal for Local, Digital Support for Traditional Crafts

Key Highlights

Promotion of handmade over machine-made products.
The Indiahandmade platform operates on a zero-commission and zero-portal fee basis, ensuring artisans receive full and fair remuneration for their work.
It is a flagship project aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Local movements, prioritizing self-reliance and domestic industry support.
Encouragement of citizen participation via social media.
Use of digital platforms to democratise craft consumption.
Direct financial support to artisans through online purchases.
Integration of Swadeshi ideology with modern consumer culture.
Youth-centric engagement strategy using Instagram and online tagging.
Emphasis on captioning the story behind the craft, not just the product.
The initiative provides end-to-end seller support, including free registration, catalogue creation, and logistics assistance, thus digitalizing the traditional sector.

Economic, Cultural, and Social Impact

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From an economic perspective, India’s handicraft sector is a major contributor to the non-farm rural economy. During festive seasons and national campaigns, artisan incomes can witness a tangible rise. By scheduling the handicraft week in December, a peak consumption month, the initiative smartly taps into year-end buying behaviour.

Culturally, the campaign plays a crucial role in heritage preservation. Many Indian crafts are endangered due to declining demand and intergenerational discontinuity. Digital archiving through consumer-generated content acts as a form of crowdsourced cultural documentation.

Socially, the visibility given to artisans restores the dignity of labour. When a potter or weaver is framed not as a “poor craftsman” but as a “skilled heritage bearer,” it reshapes social perception and fosters pride within craft communities.

Other Social Initiatives

Other meaningful initiatives were Hunar Haat, Surajkund International Crafts Mela, Delhi Haat exhibitions, and Crafts Bazaar under Rural Livelihood Missions. All of these aim at connecting artists to the market. However, Handicraft Week uniquely functions as a digitally driven, decentralised national festival, where participation is not restricted to physical locations but expanded across smartphones and social media platforms. This is a very significant step, especially in the post-pandemic era, as the digital boom has happened. It normalizes craft consumption that has hitherto been labelled as a luxury.

Takeaway

The handicraft week is a cultural intervention in the political economy of Indian crafts. It infuses a feeling of national sentiment in digital consumerism. The campaign transforms the act of purchasing into a well-established nexus of support systems for effective backing of India’s artisanal communities. Steps like these prevent the erosion of traditional skills by prioritizing human artistry over mechanical efficiency. It empowers the artisan not merely as a creator of objects but as an entrepreneur in the global economy, giving their work the dignity and economic stability it deserves. By choosing to invest in hand-crafted products, people will cast a vote for cultural preservation, economic equity, and the sustainability of a generational legacy.

In India, craft is more than an industry; it is the thread of our civilization. And this dedicated handicraft week carries within it a story of skill, survival, evolution, and centuries-old identity. It is the definitive way to be a truly Proud Indian, by supporting the skilled hands that weave the nation’s rich tale.