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Art & Culture Yearly

Review 2020

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Int Science Literature Festival – Vigyanika

CSIR-National Institute of Science

Communication and Information Resources

(CSIR-NISCAIR), Ministry of Earth Sciences

and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) jointly

organized the inaugural session of

Vigyanika-International Science Literature

Festival on the opening day of IISF 2020.

A session on ‘Science literature in Indian

regional languages’ was chaired by Mr

Nandan Kudhyadi, a science filmmaker.

Selection of films for 51st IFFI announced

Information and Broadcasting Minister

Prakash Javadekar has announced the

selection of 23 feature and 20 non-feature

films in Indian Panorama for the 51st

International Film Festival of India.

The event will be held in Goa in January

2021.

In the feature films section, the 23 films

selected include Hindi films Saand Ki Aankh

and Chichhore, Marathi movie Prawaas,

Sanskrit mie Namo, etc.

Inaugural ceremony of IFFI to be held in Jan

The inaugural ceremony of International Film

Festival of India (IFFI) will be held on 16 Jan

2021 in Goa.

The ceremony will be held in a hybrid mode

wherein the inaugural and closing ceremony

will be held in physical mode while the

remaining part will be conducted in virtual

mode.

Its theme would be 'Big to BIGGER,

Creativity, Technology and Innovation -

Reshaping Consumer Experience'.

Vice President virtually opens Chennai fest

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, on 16

December 2020, virtually inaugurated the

'Yours Truly Margazhi’ festival in Chennai.

‘Yours Truly Margazhi’ is an initiative to keep

alive Chennai’s famed tradition of December

music and dance festival through the online

medium.

The event saw the participation of 500 artists

from across 100 events.

2nd edition of Ladakh Literature Festival 2020

Ladakh Lt Governor R K Mathur inaugurated

the second edition of Ladakh Literature

Festival, 2020, in Leh on 10 Dec 2020.

The 3-day festival will host a series of talks,

folk music, cultural dance, etc.

The theme of the festival is “Ladakh at the

Crossroads”.

The platform will provide an opportunity for

the local talented persons and also help to

boost the tourism industry in the UT.

Hanukkah 2020: Jewish festival

The eight-day Jewish winter festival of lights

is called Hanukkah.

It begins each year on the 25th day of the

month of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar,

which usually falls in November or

December.

This year, Hanukkah began after sundown on

10 Dec 2020 and will continue till December

18, 2020.

Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew.

International Bharati Festival 2020

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address

the International Bharati Festival, 2020 on 11

December 2020 via video conferencing.

The festival for 2020 is being organised in

virtual mode and will see the participation of

several national and international poets and

artists.

It is being organised by Vanavil Cultural

Centre to celebrate the 138th birth

anniversary of Mahakavi Subramanya

Bharati.

Films Division screens Ambedkar documentary

Films Division of Ministry of Information &

Broadcasting screened a biographical

documentary on BR Ambedkar's life and

works as a mark of tribute, on his 64th death

anniversary.

Dr Jabbar Patel has directed 'Dr. Babasaheb

Ambedkar' which was streamed on Films

Division Website https://filmsdivision.org/ -

Documentary of the Week section.

8th North East Festival from 19 to 20 December

The 8th North East Festival will be held in

Guwahati on December 19 and 20, 2020.

The North East Festival is an attempt to

showcase and create awareness about

India’s North East and to promote

entrepreneurship and tourism.

One of the major aims of the festival is to

attract tourism and investments and create

positive vibes during these trying times.

Hunar Haat to be organised in Rampur

The next “HunarHaat” will be organised at

Numaish Ground, Rampur from 18th to 27th

Dec 2020 and Shilp Gram, Lucknow from

23rd to 31st January 2021.

The theme will be “Vocal for Local”.

Artisans and craftsmen from 27 States and

UTs including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Kerala,

Madhya Pradesh, etc. will bring their

indigenous exquisite handmade products for

display and sale at these HunarHaats.

31st Konark Dance Festival begins

The 31st Konark Festival being organised by

Odisha Tourism began on 2 Dec'20.

The event showcased the best of India's

traditional and classical dance forms, besides

offering interesting insights into the rich

cultural heritage of the country.

Leading exponents and dance enthusiasts of

almost all classical dance forms of India will

take part in the five-day classical dance

carnival.

9th International Sand Art Festival

The ninth edition of the International Sand Art

Festival kicked-off at the Chandrabhaga

Beach of Konark in Odisha’s Puri district on 2

Dec 2020.

Around 70 artists from across the country will

take part in the festival.

Last few years saw participation from Russia,

USA, Singapore & Italy.

World-renowned artist, Sudarsan Pattnaik

has been appointed as the Chief Curator of

the festival.

Hornbill Festival 2020 begins

Nagaland is hosting the first virtual

celebration of Hornbill Festival 2020 from 1-5

Dec 2020.

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The festival is celebrated every year

showcasing the rich cultural heritage and

tradition of the Nagas in one platform at Naga

Heritage Village Kisama under Kohima

District.

However, due to the pandemic, the state is

holding its 21st edition of Hornbill festival

2020 completely on virtual mode.

10-day-long Aadi Mahotsav launched

The 10-day-long Aadi Mahotsav, a festival of

tribes was launched on 1 Dec 2020 by Union

Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda.

It is being hosted on the Tribes India website

www.tribesindia.com and the main focus is

on the tribal craft and culture of Madhya

Pradesh.

It commenced in 2017 and is an attempt to

familiarize the people with the rich craft and

culture of the tribal communities.

Rare 'Nagarjuna Besha’ of Lord Jagannath held

In Odisha, the rare 'Nagarjuna Besha,' of

Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra was

held on 27 Nov 2020 in the Sri Jagannath

temple in Puri.

The rare ritual of the Lords in warrior

costumes comes after a gap of about 26

years.

As per the ritual, Lord Jagannath and his

divine sibling Lord Balabhadra are adorned in

golden attire with 16 types of traditional

weapons.

Films Division to showcase 'Lok Virasat'

Films Division will showcase 'Lok Virasat', a

festival of films on folk art and painting

starting from 27 Nov 2020, on its website and

YouTube Channel.

This is a part of its ‘art-outreach’ initiative.

The documentaries will be streamed

simultaneously on www.filmsdivision.org/

Documentary of the Week and

https://www.youtube.com/user/FilmsDivision

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Kumbh Mela to be held at Haridwar in 2021

Kumbh Mela will be held in its divine form at

Haridwar in 2021 despite the practical

problems arising out of the COVID-19

pandemic.

The preparations for the 2021 Kumbh

Mela will begin on January 14.

35 to 50 lakh people are expected to take the

holy dip in Ganga daily during the Kumbh

Mela 2021.

Work on nine new ghats, eight bridges and

roads being built is nearing completion.

Tungabhadra Pushkaram Festival inaugurated

The Tungabhadra Pushkaram festival began

on 20 Nov 2020 in Kurnool, Andhra

Pradesh, on the banks of river Tungabhadra.

The festival is observed for a period of 12

days.

Andhra Pradesh CM Jaganmohan Reddy

commenced the Pushkaram at Sankal Bagh

ghat.

Like previous years, no Pushkaram

(synonymous with holy dips) will be allowed

this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nagaland: Hornbill festival virtually

The Nagaland government has decided to

celebrate the popular Hornbill festival virtually

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this year, amid the surge in COVID-19 cases

in the country.

Hornbill Festival, held from December 1 to

10, showcases the culture, heritage, food and

customs of Naga tribes at Kisama village.

Sixteen tribal communities come together to

celebrate their traditions with a colourful

dance performance.

Kati Bihu celebrated in Assam

Locals in Bongaigaon celebrated the Kati

Bihu festival in Assam on 17 Oct 2020.

Kati Bihu marks an important day for the

Assamese people as they celebrate it by

lighting up their homes and agricultural fields.

People perform cultural dances and organise

feasts.

On this day, earthen lamps are lit at the foot

of the household, tulsi plants, the granary,

and the paddy fields.

'JASHN-e-HARUD’ inaugurated

In Jammu and Kashmir, Adviser to

Lieutenant Governor Baseer Ahmad Khan

inaugurated two-day folk and light music

concert 'JASHN-e-HARUD' at Srinagar on 15

Oct 2020.

The musical concert was organised by

Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture

and Languages Kashmir.

The concert witnessed a performance from

the renowned artists of Kashmir enthralling

the audience.

‘Gandhi Filmotsav’ concludes

As part of the grand finale of two years

celebration of Gandhiji’s 150th Birth

Anniversary, Films Division has organized

‘Gandhi Filmotsav’ which concluded on 2 Oct

2020.

The online film festival was streamed on its

Website and YouTube Channel from 26th

September 2020.

It had begun with an animation film, Vaishnav

Jan To…, a pictorial reflection of the bhajan

immortalized by Mahatma Gandhi.

51st IFFI to be held in January 2021 in Goa

The 51st Edition of the International Film

Festival of India, IFFI will be held from 16th to

24th January 2021 in Goa.

Earlier it was scheduled to be held from 20th

November to 28th November 2020.

It has also been jointly decided to hold the

festival on new dates as per the International

Film Festival guidelines and protocols.

The festival will be conducted in a Virtual and

Physical format.

Pang Lhabsol festival of Sikkim

Pang Lhabsol is celebrated across Sikkim to

commemorate the consecration of Mount

Khangchendzonga as the guardian deity of

Sikkim.

The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of

the 7th month of the Tibetan calendar

corresponding to late August/early

September.

It is believed that the mountain god played

an active role in introducing Buddhism into

this former kingdom.

Venice Film Festival opens

The Venice Film Festival opened on 2 Sept

2020 with strict safety measures.

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It is the industry's first international

competition since the Pandemic hit.

18 films in the main competition will compete

for the festival's top prize, the prestigious

Golden Lion.

About 6,000 people are expected to turn out

this year -- about half the festival's usual

number.

Kerala's first-ever Dragonfly Festival

WWF-India Kerala State Office is joining

hands with the Society for Odonate Studies

(SOS) and Thumbipuranam for the first-ever

state Dragonfly Festival in Kerala.

It will be christened ‘Thumbi Maholsavam

2020’.

As part of the Dragonfly Festival, a series of

events will be rolled out in the coming months

to reach out to various sections of the society.

51st IFFI to be held in Goa from Nov 20

51st International Film Festival of India IFFI

will be held in Goa, from November 20th to

28th, 2020.

This film festival would screen films on the

official digital platform along with the

theatrical screenings.

The segments that could be screened

virtually and those which can be shown at

auditoriums in Goa will be decided in this

meeting.

‘Nuakhai’ harvest festival celebrated

Nuakhai is an annual harvest festival in

Odisha, celebrated to welcome the season's

new rice.

Celebrated a day after Ganesh Chaturthi,

Nuakhai is the most auspicious and important

social festival in Western Odisha and the

neighbouring areas of Simdega in

Jharkhand.

It was celebrated throughout Odisha on

August 23, 2020.

The word 'Nua' translates to new and 'Khai'

means food.

Online patriotic film festival begins

National Film Development Corporation is

organizing a first of its kind, online patriotic

film festival.

The festival is a part of Independence Day

Celebrations by the Ministry of Information

and Broadcasting.

The festival began on 7 August 2020 and will

run till the 21 August 2020.

It will showcase Indian history that marks the

bravery of freedom fighters.

Centuries old Ker puja began in Tripura

The centuries-old Ker puja began in Tripura

capital Agartala from 14 July 2020.

Ker puja is the most peculiar festival of

Tripura.

It is being held at the premises of Ujjayanta

Palace.

Ker is considered as a Vastu Devata of

Tripura’a Royal family.

The literal meaning of ‘Ker’ in tribal Kokborok

language is ‘specified area’.

Shravani Mela to be postponed

The Jharkhand govt has decided to postpone

the world-famous Shravani Mela held in

Deoghar, for 2020, in view of spread of

COVID-19.

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The Shiva temple of Deoghar is one of the 12

Jyotirlingas of the country.

Around three million people offer water on the

"Shiva Linga" every year in the month of

Shravan in Hindu calendar, during the fair.

World famous Rath Yatra began in Puri

The rituals for the most celebrated and the

world-famous Rath Yatra have started on 23

June 2020.

The Pahandi ritual has also begun.

The chariots of the Lords Jagannath and

Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra will be

pulled only by the selective servitors and

police officials.

After the Supreme court's decision in favour

of Rath Yatra, the District Administration has

imposed a curfew in Puri.

Snana Yatra of Lord Jagannath began in Puri

The famous Snana Yatra of Lord

Jagannath begun in Puri on 5 June 2020.

Snana Yatra is a ceremonial grand shower

festival celebrated on the Purnima (full moon

day) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha.

During this festival, the deities of Jagannath,

Balabhadra, and Subhadra, are brought out

from the Jagannath Temple and taken in a

procession to the Snana Mandap inside the

temple premises.

ASI unearthed 9th century Shiv Linga

A Shiv Linga dating back to the 9th century

has been unearthed at Cham temple

complex in Vietnam during restoration work

by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Cham temple complex, part of the UNESCO

world heritage site of Mỹ Sơn in Quang Nam

province of Vietnam, was built in the 9th

century AD.

It was built during the reign of King

Indravarman II.

Narada Jayanti 2020

Narada Jayanti 2020 is being celebrated

on May 8, 2020.

It is a day dedicated to celebrate the birth of

Narad Muni, son of Lord Brahma and

Goddess Saraswati.

Narada Jayanti is the birth anniversary of

Devrishi Narada Muni.

According to Hindu mythology, Narada Muni

is the first journalist on the earth and has the

ability to travel to all the places in all of

creation.

Ambubachi Mela cancelled for the year 2020

Ambubachi Mela, in Assam, has been

cancelled for the year 2020 due to COVID-19

pandemic.

Ambubachi Mela held every year at

Guwahati's Kamakhya temple is considered

as the biggest religious gathering in the

region and state as millions of devotees and

visitors gather on this auspicious occasion.

The Kamakhya Temple is known to be one of

the 52 shakti peethas of goddess Shakti.

Spain's bull running festival cancelled

Spain's best-known bull running festival in the

northern town of Pamplona has been

cancelled because of the coronavirus

pandemic.

Hundreds of thousands of people typically

attend the centuries-old San Fermin

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celebration, which sees half-a tonne fighting

bulls chase hundreds of daredevils.

The event is held each year between July 6

and 14.

Baisakhi celebrated on 13 April

Baisakhi or Vaisakhi, the harvest festival, is

being celebrated on 13 April 2020.

It is celebrated with great enthusiasm to mark

the beginning of the new spring and is

celebrated in most of India as the new year

by Hindus.

It signifies the end of the harvest season in

India, marking a time of prosperity for the

farmers.

Gudi Padwa being celebrated today

Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of

the Chaitra month of the Hindu calendar.

It is being celebrated on 25 March for the year

2020.

It is the first day of the year for people of

Maharashtra and Konkan region.

According to Hindu mythology, it is said that

Lord Brahma had created the universe on the

day of Gudi Padwa.

On this day, Brahma introduced days, weeks,

months and years.

Ugaadi being celebrated today

Telugu speaking people across the world are

celebrating their Telugu New Year day,

Ugaadi on 25 March 2020.

The festival is being celebrated across the

two Telugu states, Telangana and Andhra

Pradesh to mark the beginning of the Hindu

Lunar calendar.

People savour special Ugadi

chutney comprising Neem flower, jaggery,

salt, sugar cane, tamarind and mango to

indicate six basic tastes.

Cannes film festival not to take place in May

The Cannes film festival will not take place in

May 2020 because of COVID-19.

The world's biggest film festival was due to

take place between May 12 and 23, 2020.

But its board said that they are now looking

at rescheduling it to the end of June-

beginning of July.

Several other film festivals, including Tribeca,

SXSW and Edinburgh have already been

cancelled or rescheduled.

“Phool Dei” festival began in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand celebrates its Phool Sankranti

festival popularly known as the ‘Phool Dei’

festival to welcome the season of spring.

This Pahari festival is celebrated with pomp

and show during Makar Sankranti in the

Kumaon and Garhwal regions of

Uttarakhand.

Phool Dei is celebrated on the first day

of Chaitra or in mid-March (according to

Gregorian calendar).

Fagli festival celebrated in Himachal Pradesh

The traditional 'Fagli' festival was celebrated

in Yangpa village of Kinnaur district on 10

March 2020 with great fervour.

The festival is organised to observe the

"victory of good over evil".

Men dressed in traditional attire with masks

on their faces were seen dancing in circles.

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This festival is celebrated to mark the end of

winter or the beginning of spring.

Holi festival being celebrated in India

Holi, the Festival of Colors, is being

celebrated in India on 9-10 March 2020.

Hiranyakashyapu instructed his sister Holika

to get rid of his own son Prahlad by entering

a blazing fire as she had the boon to enter fire

unscathed.

Lord Vishnu rendered protection to Prahlad

while Holika paid the price for her sinister

desire.

Holi also signifies the arrival of spring and the

end of winter.

Chapchar Kut, festival of Mizos celebrated

In Mizoram, the biggest and most joyful

festival of Mizos, Chapchar Kut was

celebrated across Mizoram on 6 March 2020.

The Chapchar Kut is also regarded as the

most popular spring festival to the people of

the state.

This festival is a public holiday in the state.

Traditional bamboo dance - Cheraw and

other dances were performed at the main

event, attracting thousands of people.

Poetry Festival began in Kolkata

4-day Poetry Festival began in Kolkata on 5

March 2020.

Noted Painter Jogen Chowdhury inaugurated

the festival at Rabindra Sandan Complex.

Seven noted Poets including Srijato

Bandyopadhyay, Binayak Bandyopadhyay,

Pranab Kumar Mukhopadhyay and Subhra

Bose were honoured at the function.

More than 600 poets from different parts of

the state will recite their poems at 7 venues

in Kolkata.

3 day Namaste Orchha festival began in MP

In MP, 'Namaste Orchha' festival began from

6 March 2020 in Orchha, a famous tourist

destination of the state.

Orchha is famous for its Ramaraja temple as

well as other historical buildings.

The 3-day festival will showcase the cultural

landscape of Madhya Pradesh through a

range of activities like art, music, dance,

guided history tours and photography.

Grand Rangotsav in Mathura Vrindavan began

In Uttar Pradesh, the grand Rangotsav

showcasing the unique colours of Holi in

Mathura Vrindavan began on 3 March 2020.

CM Yogi Adityanath will take part in

the inauguration program and in the world-

famous Laddoo Holi.

As per the rituals of the Braj region, every day

of this Rangotsav will have a unique feature

of Holi such as Ladoo Holi, Latthmar Holi,

Chadi Holi and Foolon ki Holi.

Week long “Ekam Fest” began

The week-long Exhibition-cum-Fair “EKAM

Fest” will be inaugurated on 2 March 2020.

It is being organised by the National

Handicapped Finance Development

Corporation (NHFDC) in New Delhi.

It is an effort for promoting entrepreneurship

and knowledge among Divyangjan

community and generating awareness

among society about the potentialities of

PwDs.

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MP: Two-day unique Chilli Festival began

In Madhya Pradesh, the two-day unique Chilli

Festival began at Kasrawad in Khargone

district 29 Feb 2020.

Chilli Festival is a big business opportunity for

traders, investors and exporters.

It will also help in fulfilling the Central

Government's goal of doubling the income of

farmers.

Chilli-based cuisine stalls will also be set up

on the occasion.

8-day Vasantotsav began in Gandhinagar

The 8-day cultural fair called Vasantotsav

was inaugurated on 25 Feb 2020 at Sanskruti

Kunj in Gandhinagar.

The annual festival is organised by the

Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs,

Government of India, to celebrate the rich

diverse heritage of the country.

The theme of the festival for 2020 is Ek

Bharat Shreshth Bharat.

Chhattisgarh is the pair state of Gujarat.

TG established Ek Bharat Sresht Bharat clubs

In Telangana have been established Ek

Bharat Shresht Bharat clubs in almost all

colleges.

Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat is the EBSB

scheme proposed by MHRD, GOI.

It is a cultural gathering which is organised

involving the paired states.

Objectives of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat to

celebrate the Unity in Diversity of our Nation.

Chitra Bharati Film Festival began in Gujarat

The three- day Chitra Bharati Film Festival

(CBFF) began on 21 Feb 2020 at Gujarat

University in Ahmedabad.

This is the third edition of the festival- the first

was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in

2016, and the second at Delhi’s Siri Fort

Auditorium in 2018.

Around 140 films falling under four categories

are to be screened at the festival.

Bharat-Bangla Tourism festival began

In Tripura, a 2-day long first-ever Bharat-

Bangla Paryatan Utsav-Tourism festival

began in Agartala on 20 Feb 2020.

The State Tourism Department has

organized the festival in memories of the

contribution of Tripura in 1971 Bangladesh

liberation war.

Various Seminars, discussions, and cultural

events will be held during the 2-day

friendship festival.

Hornbill festival began in Tripura

The 2-day Hornbill Festival of Tripura began

on 8 Feb 2020 with the aim to conserve the

striking forest bird “Hornbill”.

Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated

the festival at the famous Barmura hill, one of

the biggest hill ranges of Tripura.

It includes technical sessions on the

conservation of bio-diversity in the state, a

fair, folk dances, etc.

5th Dhaka Art Summit inaugurated

The fifth edition of the Dhaka Art Summit

began on 9 Feb 2020.

It will continue upto 15th February 2020.

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More than 500 artists, sculptors, architects

and art professionals from various countries

are participating in the Summit.

The Summit will also featuring live events,

panel discussions and puppet shows among

other things.

Dhaka Art Summit is the premier art festival

of Bangladesh.

Mumbai's Kala Ghoda festival kicked off

Mumbai's favourite arts festival Kala Ghoda

kicked off on 1 Feb 2020.

This is the 21st edition of the festival.

For the next nine days, Mumbaikars will enjoy

a host of festivities including contemporary

artworks, talks by esteemed names in the city

and performances across music, theatre and

stand-up comedy and much more on the

streets of South Mumbai.

Film ‘Son Rise’ screened on 2nd day of MIFF

National Award Winning film ‘Son Rise’ and

film ‘Shevanti’ were screened on the second

day of the Mumbai International Film Festival.

The week-long festival was inaugurated on

28 Jan 2020 at Nehru Centre Auditorium in

Mumbai.

Animation Homage section was inaugurated

by renowned animator Chetan Sharma.

Satyajit Ray's Pavillion was also inaugurated

by Director Shahji N Karun.

3-day Narmada Mahotsav began

In Madhya Pradesh, 3-day Narmada

Mahotsav began from 31 Jan 2020 in

the plains of Amarkantak on the occasion of

Narmada Jayanti.

Local tribal art and culture will be duly

demonstrated during it.

During the Mahotsav, one day will be

reserved for all women activities under the

theme of “Beti Bachao - Beti Padhao”.

A light and sound show based on the life of

Maa Narmada will be organized.

34th Surajkund International Crafts Fair 2020

President Ramnath Kovind will inaugurate

the 34th Surajkund International Handicraft

Fair to be held in Faridabad on 1 Feb 2020.

The theme state of the fair for the year 2020

is Himachal Pradesh and Uzbekistan is a

participating country.

Craftsmen from almost all the states and 20

countries are participating in the fair this time.

The first fair in Surajkund was held in 1987.

Mumbai International Film Festival began

The Mumbai International Film Festival for

Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation

Films, began in Mumbai on 28 Jan 2020.

The 16th edition of the festival will have

screening of a wide variety of films in

competition sections, departed legends of

documentary and animation genres.

It is the oldest international event for non-

feature films in South Asia.

It will culminate on 3 Feb 2020.

Odisha Mahaotsav began in Gujarat

In Gujarat, the two day Odisha Mahotsav as

a part of Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat

Programme was launched on 22 Jan 2020.

More than one lakh people from Odisha are

settled in Surat and other parts of Gujarat.

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They will showcase the art, culture, traditions

and rich heritage of Odisha in this festival.

Most of the Odisha people staying in Surat

are from Ganjam district of Odisha.

Jaipur Literature Festival began

Jaipur Literature Festival began on 23 Jan

2020.

About 500 speakers of different fields are

participating in the festival, which is currently

in its 13th year.

The five-day event will see more than 200

sessions and will be attended by 500

speakers from 20 countries.

The broad themes of the festival this time

include climate, constitution, poetry, and

artificial intelligence.

Films Division launched a mobile app

Films Division has launched a mobile app,

which will provide movie buffs all the

information about Mumbai International Film

Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and

Animation films - MIFF-2020.

The app will also enable delegates to vote for

their favourite movie.

The 16th edition of MIFF is all set to begin on

28 Jan 2020 at Nehru Centre Auditorium,

Mumbai.

‘Castle of Dreams’ got Best Film Award

The Iranian film ‘Castle of Dreams’ directed

by Reza Mirakarimi won the Best Film Award

in Asian Competition section of the 18th

Dhaka International Film Festival.

The festival concluded on 19 Jan 2020.

In the Asian Competition segment, Sri

Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage’s film

‘Children of the Sun’ won Special Jury

Award.

Best Actor Award went to Lousie Abuel fo film

‘Edward’.

9th Int Children's Film Festival began

The 9th International Children's Film Festival

began in Kolkata on 19 Jan 2020 with the

screening of Aizaz Khan directed Hamid.

About 250 films from 45 countries will be

screened in the week-long festival.

The National Award winner Children actor,

Talha Arsad Rishi inaugurated the festival.

Besides the screening of films, an exhibition

on the children's film festival will also be

organised.

Mizoram to celebrate ‘Chapchar Kut’ festival

Mizoram will celebrate Chapchar Kut, the

biggest and most important festival of the

Mizos, on 6 Mar 2020.

The festival will be a two-day event.

March 5 will be celebrated as pre-festival,

which would be graced by Art and Culture

Minister R Lalzirliana as "Kut Pa" or the

"father of the festival".

Chapchar Kut is a spring festival celebrated

in March after completion of the Jhum

cultivation.

Parshuram Kund Mela began in Arunachal

Pradesh

In Arunachal Pradesh, the famous

Parshuram Kund Mela began on 14 Jan

2020.

Devotees from across the country visit the

sacred place to take a holy dip in the Kund on

the occasion of Makar Sankranti every year.

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Parshuram Kund, nestled in the lower

reaches of Lohit River is of great significance

for the Hindus.

Bhogi being celebrated in South India

Bhogi is being celebrated on 14 Jan 2020 in

Tamil Nadu and several other parts of

southern India.

It marks the last day of the month of

Maargazhi in the Tamil calendar.

On Bhogi day, redundant or unusable

materials are disposed of, to welcome the

auspicious Pongal festival on 15 Jan 2020.

Bhogi is a prelude to the grand Pongal

festivities.

Tamil Nadu: Famous chariot festival held

The famous chariot festival of the

Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple, the

southern most major temple in Tamil Nadu,

was held on 9 Jan 2020.

The 10-day annual festival is held in the Tamil

month falling in Dec-Jan.

The temple is especially significant because

it is sacred to both the Shaivite as well as

Vashnavite sects.

This 17th-century temple is famous for its

architectural grandeur.

Madhavpur Mela to be held in April 2020

The eight states of the Northern Eastern

Region will participate in the Madhavpur

Mela of Gujarat due to be held in the first

week of April 2020.

The annual fair is held at Madhavpur Ghed in

Porbandar district and will commence on 2

April 2020, a day after the Ram Navami

festival.

Madhavpur Ghed is the place where Lord

Krishna married Rukmini, the daughter of

King Bhishmaka.

4th ‘Buxa Bird Festival’ kicks off

The 4th edition of ‘Buxa Bird Festival’ has

started in Buxa National Park in West

Bengal’s, district Alipurduar.

More than 50 birdwatchers from pan India

and abroad have registered in the festival.

Over 300 rare species including the Sultan

Tit, Greater Spotted Eagle and Great Hornbill

visit the national park during this festival.

Festival ‘Lai Haraoba’ begins in Tripura

In Tripura, Lai Haraoba, a ritualistic festival

observed by Manipuri meitei communities

since ancient times, began in Agartala.

The festival aims to uphold tradition and

cultural values of the Meitei community.

Lai Haraoba is celebrated through oral

literature, music, dance and rituals.

PM lays foundation stone for memorial museum

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the

foundation stone for a memorial museum of

Shri Shri Shivakumar Swamiji in Tumkuru.

This was done during his visit to the Shri

Siddhaganga Mutt in Tumkuru, Karnataka.

Shivakumar Swamiji was an Indian

supercentenarian, humanitarian, spiritual

leader and educator who joined the

Siddaganga Matha in 1930 Karnataka and

became head seer from 1941.