Cultural festival 'Arth' to kick-off from Feb 21

Over 200 scholars, writers, artists and artisans from India and abroad will be part of the mega cultural festival 'Arth' starting here in the capital on February 21, announced organisers of the event.

The three-day festival, touted to be India's one of its kind multi-regional fest, will be held here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. It aims to "rediscover, reconnect with and revisit India through art, culture, literature, politics, and society", and celebrate the true essence of "indic thought and philosophy".

Some of the prominent names taking part in the festival are Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Sabha member and classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal, economist Lord Meghnad Desai, authors Ruskin Bond, Ashwin Sanghi and Hindol Sengupta along with social activists Trupti Desai, Rahul Easwar and Madhu Kishwar.

According to the organisers, the festival, now in its second edition, will include varied activities like cultural performances, workshops, visual art installations, live art and more.

"I am extremely glad to announce the second season of India's largest attempt to celebrate all things that belong to this land, Arth.

"We want to inspire people to look inward and discover what we as Indians stand for, what we are forgetting, what we criticise and why and ultimately, how we can all move forward. The second season of Arth in Delhi will aim to bind us together by discovering our common ethos," Shreyasi Goenka, founder and director of the festival, said.

For music lovers, the festival will also witness performances by renowned artistes like Gurdas Mann, Bhai Manohar Singh, Mame Khan, Sinam Basu Singh, Qutbi Brothers and Shubha Mudgal, among others.

Performing at the event will also be Bharatanatyam dancer Narthaki Natraj, the first transgender woman to receive Padma Award.

The festival will come to a close on February 23.