Three-day river festival at Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts from today

The fifth annual River Festival begins this evening at the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA) in Delhi. The festival, running for three days, will include discussions, film screenings about rivers, and a unique exhibition on boat construction. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will inaugurate the event.

At a press conference held before the festival, Prof. Anil Kumar, head of the Janpad Sampada Division at IGNCA, shared details about the event. He announced that Basant Negi, the former Sarpanch of Harsil, Uttarakhand, and Swami Chidananda Saraswati, head of Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh, will attend as chief guests.

The festival will feature three main exhibitions. The first exhibition will showcase pictures of the Kangsabati river and its culture. The second will focus on the art of boat construction, while the third will display paintings created by Delhi school children.

 Each evening will feature cultural programs, including a special performance of Himachali folk songs by Vikram Bhandral.

The River Festival was conceived by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi. The first festival took place in 2018 in Nashik, Maharashtra, by the Godavari river. The second festival was held in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, along the Krishna river. 

The third festival occurred in Munger, Bihar, on the banks of the Ganges. The fourth festival was also held in Delhi, marking the festival’s return to the capital.