Shabdotsav day 2 to bring intellectual discussions, cultural performances
The second day of Delhi Shabdotsav 2026, the capital’s three-day cultural and literary festival, will bring a packed schedule of intellectual discussions and cultural performances at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium near India Gate on Saturday. The sessions will focus on Indian history, mythology, cinema, culture and national consciousness, organisers said.
The festival, which began on January 2, has drawn large crowds of scholars, students and literature enthusiasts. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra, Delhi’s Minister for Art, Culture and Language Kapil Mishra, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, and senior figures from the publishing and cultural world.
The organisers said Day Two will underline the festival’s core aim of creating dialogue on India’s civilisational ideas while engaging younger audiences. Multiple panel discussions will run through the day, followed by a cultural evening featuring folk and contemporary music.
The first session of the day, titled “Hindu History”, will be held from 11 am to 12.15 pm. Speakers include Mithileshnandini Sharan, Ami Ganatra and Dharmveer Sharma. The session will be moderated by Professor Makarand Paranjape, with Rakesh Shukla and Aditya Bhardwaj as conveners. Organisers said the discussion will explore historical narratives and interpretations of India’s past.
This will be followed by “Truth Behind Myth” from 12.15 pm to 1.30 pm. Speakers Mukul Kanitkar, D K Hari, Professor Jagbir Singh and Aarti Agarwal will examine mythology through research and historical inquiry. The session will be moderated by Hitesh Shankar and coordinated by Bijender Kumar. From 1.30 pm to 2.45 pm, the focus will shift to popular culture with the session “Hinduism in Cinema”. Journalists Aditya Raj Kaul and Ashwini Kumar will discuss how Indian films have portrayed religious and cultural themes. The session will be convened by Atul Gangwar.
The fourth session, “Vande Mataram and Bengal”, is scheduled from 2.45 pm to 4 pm. Speakers Anirban Ganguly, Kanchan Gupta, Shivam Raghuvanshi and Diganta Chakraborty will explore the historical and cultural roots of the national song. Abhijit Majumdar will moderate the session, with Sandeep Mahapatra as coordinator.
The final discussion of the day, “Dakshinpath”, will be held from 4 pm to 5.15 pm. Speakers Madhavi Lata and Sudhanshu Trivedi will address themes related to southern India’s cultural and ideological traditions. The session will be moderated by Harshvardhan Tripathi and coordinated by Shyam Kishore Sahay.
The day will conclude with a cultural evening from 6 pm onwards, featuring performances by Prahlad Singh Tipaniya and the Pandavaz Band. The programme will be coordinated by Anupam Bhatnagar. Organisers said the second day is expected to see strong participation from students, researchers and citizens, reflecting the festival’s growing appeal as a platform for cultural dialogue and public engagement.
