Raipur, Chhattisgarh will hold the annual Sirpur Heritage Festival from February 1 to 3 to celebrate the region’s rich Buddhist heritage, culture and global connectivity, an official said on Friday.
Chhattisgarh: Sirpur Heritage Festival to be held from February 1-3 to celebrate Buddhist heritage, cultureThe event will be organized at Sirpur, one of India’s oldest centers of Buddhist learning in Mahasamund district, said Sirpur Special Area Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Dhammasheel Ganveer.
Sirpur, which occupies a prominent place in Buddhist history, was once a thriving monastic and intellectual centre, believed to have over 10,000 Buddhist monks at its peak, he said.
The famous Chinese scholar and pilgrim Xuanzang, who visited Sirpur around 630-645 AD, documented its vibrant monastery, scholarly and dynamic intellectual life.
Focusing on this legacy, the Sirpur Heritage Festival 2026 aims to firmly place Sirpur on the national and international cultural map, strengthen its position in the global Buddhist circuit and promote awareness of its outstanding universal value, Ganveer said.
More Read
The festival also coincides with ongoing efforts to prepare Sirpur for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, highlighting its archaeological importance and living cultural heritage, he said.
The festival will be grandly organized with international participation. He said representatives from Bhutan and South Korea are expected to be present along with representatives from Japan.
He said a high-level panel discussion on “UNESCO Aspiration for Sirpur” will also be held during the festival, focusing on conservation, global recognition and sustainable cultural tourism.
More Read
The three-day event will feature a mix of classical, folk, spiritual and contemporary performances, the official said.
The inaugural evening on February 1 will include Chhattisgarh folk dance, Kathak, Tathagata plays, Dhrupad recitals, performances by students of Indira Kala Sangeet University, Khairagarh and a special performance by eminent singer Baba Hansraj Raghuvanshi, he said.
On February 2, the cultural program will include Sufi spiritual music by Delhi genre maestro Bhusat Iqbal Khan, an evening of Kabir Sangeet, Therigatha plays featuring the voices of early Buddhist nuns and a performance by Indian Idol fame singer Hemant Brijvasi.
He said the festival will conclude on February 3 with performances by artistes across Chhattisgarh including Panthi, Danda and Bastaria dances, followed by a grand finale by popular Bollywood music duo Meet Brothers.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the event for its success. He said that this festival is being organized every year to preserve and promote the ancient cultural, historical and archaeological heritage of Chhattisgarh.
Such events not only strengthen the state’s cultural identity but also help promote tourism and create new livelihood opportunities for local residents, he added.
More Read
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed
