Seminars, films, exhibitions to be hosted at 6th 'Nadi Utsav', Jal Shakti minister to inaugurate

New Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) The sixth edition of the "Nadi Utsav" will be inaugurated by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil on September 25 and will feature seminars, films and exhibitions, seeking to encourage collective responsibility for the preservation of rivers, ecology and the associated culture, officials said on Tuesday.

The festival is hosted by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Culture.

It will take place from September 25 to 27, with an extensive line-up of programmes that highlight rivers as vital lifelines as well as cultural and imaginative reservoirs.

"Through its seminars, films, performances and exhibitions, the 6th 'Nadi Utsav' will reaffirm the profound relationship between rivers, ecology and culture, while encouraging collective responsibility for their preservation," the ministry said.

The festival will be inaugurated by Patil at the IGNCA on September 25.

Over the three days, the festival will feature a national seminar on "Riverscape Dynamics: Changes and Continuity" that will bring together sessions on traditional riverine knowledge and wisdom, river gods and folk narratives, the river in art, craft practices, and science and rivers.

Eminent scholars and experts will share their perspectives, engaging in dialogues that emphasise the cultural, ecological and artistic dimensions of rivers, the ministry said in a statement.

In connection with the seminar, more than 300 research papers were received, of which 45 will be presented during the sessions, with the English department of the University of Delhi collaborating this segment of the festival, it said.

"My River Story", a documentary film festival, will present thought-provoking films, such as "Gotakhors: Disappearing Diving Communities", "River Man of India", "Arth Ganga", "Molai -- Man Behind the Forest", "Cauvery -- River of Life", and "Ladakh -- Life along the Indus". These screenings will portray ecological concerns, community practices and the enduring human connection with rivers, drawing attention to the multiple ways in which river systems shape lives and landscapes, the ministry said.

The festival deepens the dialogue between tradition and contemporary practices, ensuring that communities remain connected with their riverine roots, the officials said. PTI KND RC