Five-day art festival in Delhi to bring women’s voices to the fore

Women’s voices, their evolving role, and status in society will take centre stage at the upcoming art festival to be hosted in the heart of the national capital.

The five-day event, organised by the India International Centre (IIC), will commence on October 10. It will feature movie screenings, exhibitions, cultural performances, and discourses on women’s contributions to shaping and transforming the fields of Indian architecture, politics, and journalism.

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At a press briefing on Saturday, IIC President Shyam Saran announced Sā-Vanitā: Sanskrit for “Thus, She Speaks,” as the theme for this year’s festival. He noted that one of the major highlights of the festival is an exhibition — ‘Shunya: The Power of Zero’ — showcasing India’s contribution to the field of mathematics, which has traversed the globe. The exhibition will be inaugurated by Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, during the curtain-raiser on October 9.

The festival will also spotlight India’s diverse culinary heritage, celebrating women chefs from across the country in menus curated by Sourish Bhattacharyya and Pushpesh Pant.

Highlights include Chef Rekha Rigo’s “Spice Route: Coastal Food from Andhra”, Chef Samita Haldar’s “Shonar Bangla Bhoj: A Bengali Culinary Tapestry”, a “Sunday Brunch: Flavours of Gujarat” by SEWA members, Chef Gunjan Goela’s “Begum-e-Dilli: Flavours of Old Delhi”, Vijay Kumar’s “La Table Française”, and Chef Shacchi Anand’s *“Baghar-e-Magadh: Culinary Tour of Bihar.”

Enriching the cultural experience, the festival will feature performances spanning diverse traditions—from Bharatanatyam recitals by Malavika Sarukkai to an all-women opera ensemble from the Neemrana Foundation and a South Indian storytelling form where Stree Ratnas render musical compositions dedicated to the divine.