Ancient India Comes Alive at Kalidas ka Kathalok Festival in Delhi
A unique cultural festival, Kalidas ka Kathalok, curated by Samay Yaan in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, was held at Purana Qila, New Delhi, on 7th and 8th February 2026
A unique cultural festival, Kalidas ka Kathalok, curated by Samay Yaan in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, was held at Purana Qila, New Delhi, on 7th and 8th February 2026.
Set against one of Delhi’s most significant archaeological sites, the festival brought ancient India alive—not as distant history, but as a living civilisational experience.
The event transformed Purana Qila into an immersive cultural landscape, where visitors engaged with traditions through attar-making, traditional cuisines, ancient Indian board games, and even had their names written in Brahmi script, connecting past and present through touch, scent, and script.
Ms Vidula from Khol Khel spoke about their Open Play initiative, which revives nearly 75 traditional Indian board games, many recognised under NEP 2020. She highlighted how these games foster social-emotional learning, cognitive development, and intergenerational bonding. Presenting them at a festival celebrating Kalidas felt natural, she said—both poetry and play arise from emotion, memory, and India’s enduring cultural intelligence.
Adding a musical dimension, the Nirgun Naad Band from Manzil Mystics delivered a soulful performance rooted in India’s literary traditions. Priyanka, a Learning Through Music Fellow, explained the meaning of their Kabir bhajan “Ghat Ghat Mein Panchhi Bolta Hai”, where the body is the vessel and consciousness the bird within—reminding listeners that emotions and awareness arise from within.
She described the festival as a meaningful platform to explore the works of Kalidas alongside other literary greats and praised the initiative for promoting Indian Sahitya.
The festival also featured a theatrical presentation, “Mahakavi Kalidas”, by the National School of Drama, further enriching the storytelling experience.
Project Head Ms Bharti Dhingra summed up the vision, saying the festival is about listening—to stories, spaces, and the timeless questions ancient India explored: love, power, nature, and society. By situating these narratives within Purana Qila, Kalidas ka Kathalok invited audiences to walk through history—both physically and emotionally—making the past feel vividly present.
Reported by Dilip Guha
The Nirgun Naad Band from the Manzil Mystics organisation presented a soulful musical performance
The Nirgun Naad Band from the Manzil Mystics organisation participated in the Kalidas ka Katha lok program, presenting a soulful musical performance rooted in India’s rich literary and cultural traditions. Manzil Mystics is an organisation that provides music exposure in schools and community spaces, working to make music accessible, sustainable, and meaningful for children and young people.Speaking at the event, Priyanka, a member of the Nirgun Naad Band, said that she is a Learning Through Music (LTM) Fellow of Manzil Mystics. She explained that the team regularly visits schools and communities on a weekly basis to conduct music classes for children. At the Kalidas ka Katha program, the band performed a Kabir bhajan titled “Ghat Ghat Mein Panchhi Bolta Hai.” Explaining the meaning of the song, Priyanka shared that “ghat” refers to the human body and panchhi symbolises consciousness. Through this bhajan, Kabir conveys that emotions such as happiness and sadness arise from within oneself, emphasising self-awareness and inner responsibility.Reflecting on the event, Priyanka said that Kalidas ka Katha lok provided a valuable opportunity to explore the works of Kalidas along with other renowned writers and authors. She described the initiative as a meaningful effort to promote Indian Sahitya (literature).My team and I are grateful to be part of this program. It was a memorable experience for us, she added.
Mahakavi Kalidas A Play- by NSD
A specially curated show staged by NSD revolving around the life and works of Maha Kavi Kalidas, presented by sixteen theatre artists, designed and directed by Sh Ramji Bali on the occasion.
This play was a three-act theatrical production that explores the life and literary legacy of Mahakavi Kalidasa, one of the greatest figures in classical Indian literature. The play brings together legend and selected works to present a unified theatrical experience. The first act introduces Kalidasa's early life, drawing from the well-known legend of his marriage to Rani Vidyotama and his journey from ignorance to wisdom, which marks the beginning of his transformation into a great poet.
The play aims to make Kalidasa's life and works accessible to contemporary audiences while preserving their classical essence.
Ancient Indian board games
The Kalidas ki Kathalok festival created experiential spaces where audiences engaged directly with civilisational practices—from attar-making and traditional cuisines to ancient Indian board games and even had their names written in Brahmi script calligraphy—bridging centuries through touch, scent, and script. Ms Vidula from Khol Khel shared how their Open Play initiative revives ancient Indian play practices to bring people together. Having revived nearly 75 traditional board games—many recognised under the National Education Program (NEP) 2020—Khol Khel demonstrates how play supports social-emotional learning, cognitive development, and intergenerational connection.
She reflected that presenting these games at a festival on Kalidas felt natural, as both his poetry and their play arise from the same source—emotion, memory, and the quiet intelligence of Indian tradition, still alive and relevant today.
Read full story at Kalidas ka Katha Lok Festival Revives India’s Civilisational Memory at Purana Qila - Sasraya News
Video links https://youtu.be/m9I_pprZRXM?t=6
Video links https://youtu.be/sYZv9szOhRU
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