'Journeying Across the Himalayas' Multidisciplinary festival to put spotlight on Himalayan region

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) The inaugural edition of multidisciplinary festival 'Journeying Across the Himalayas' will bring to focus the Himalayan regions, its communities and cultures through their art, textile, sports, architecture, exhibitions and cuisine.
    An initiative by Royal Enfield Social Mission, 'Journeying Across the Himalayas', is scheduled to take place here at Travancore Palace from December 5.
    The 10-day festival will celebrate the Himalayan region's rich cultural heritage with the participation of over 50 communities, more than 150 experts and about 200 creative practitioners and artists.
    'From Folk to Fabric', a Himalayan Knot Textile Exhibition curated by Ikshit Pande with contributors including Monisha Ahmed, Aratrik Devvarman, Easternlight Zimik, Kevisedenuo Margaret Zinyu, and Charlee Mathlena, will trace the rich craftsmanship across the Himalayan states and UT Ladakh, highlighting sustainable textiles and regional crafts through folklore, attire, photographs and artefacts.
    A 360-degree VR film, "An Ode to the Snow Leopard", by filmmakers Gautam Pandey and Doel Trivedy will show the remote habitats of the highly elusive snow leopards, while 'Helmets for India' artists' collective will promote road safety through works of 12 artists who use helmets as a canvas to express their individuality, emotions, experiences and perspectives.
    A six-feet structure resembling a motorcycle helmet, designed and executed by ST+ART using mycelium -- a lightweight and durable organic material that is grown from biological matter -- will aim to evoke curiosity about how natural materials can take on bold, structural forms.
    An exhibition, 'Evolution of Ice Hockey in Ladakh, Then & Now', curated by Ladakh Arts & Media Organisation, will document the sport's history in the region, featuring players and key opinion leaders, and celebrates both the sport and its legacy in Ladakh.
    'The Shape of the Wind is a Tree' exhibition will showcase works by the recipients of the Himalayan Fellowship for Creative Practitioners.
    'Entanglements', a site-specific installation in partnership with sā Ladakh, will reflect on the connection between two distinct landscapes — the Aravalli range and the Himalayas — through regenerative art.
    "This 10-day festival is a celebration of Royal Enfield's deep-rooted connection with the Himalayas. It aims to foster greater appreciation for the region's cultural and environmental heritage, while advocating for responsible tourism.
    "'Journeying across the Himalayas' is a testament to our long-term commitment to partner and build resilience in 100 Himalayan communities and inspire one million riders to explore sustainably," Bidisha Dey, executive director of Eicher Group Foundation, told PTI.
    The festival will also host workshops and discussions on topics such as safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, responsible tourism, and climate resilience, while also exploring themes of human-animal harmony, culinary heritage, climate literacy, and systems thinking for sustainable solutions, etc.
    It will feature sessions on modern storytelling techniques and include poetry and oral traditions.
    Prominent speakers from conservation, crafts, culinary and contemporary art, filmmakers and authors, including Abhilasha Ojha, Tanisha Phanbuh, Grace Muivah, Arjun Vajpai, Urvashi Butalia, and Sandeep Sangaru will join representatives from the Himalayan communities, especially youth changemakers, in discussions to make complex issues such as climate change accessible to the general public.
    Some of the speakers from the region include amateur herder Stanzin Norboo, poet Millo Ankha, cultural revivalist Mo Naga, social activist Seno Tsuhah, conservationist Bano Haralu, and architect Sandeep Bogadhi.
    The festival will also feature cultural performances by popular artistes, including Taba Chake, Bipul Chhetri, Lou Majaw, Ao Naga Choir, Parvaaz, and Joi Barua.
    The festival will come to an end on December 15.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)