IHC SAMANVAY 2026: Celebrating Indian Languages

11:00am | TALK |  IHC Samanvay 2026: Celebrating Indian Languages – “This Blessed Land: यह धरती अपनी”. A celebration of the vibrant diversity of our sacred land that has nourished us for millennia, and a gentle reminder of the interconnected web that binds environment, culture and life. From holy rivers born in Himalayan glaciers to forests, deserts and the sea, diverse cultural streams have mingled through folklore, music, dance and stories. IHC Samanvay 2026 invites seekers and creative persons to share, inspire and renew our resolve to conserve our shared heritage. Venue: Amphitheatre

11:00am - 12:00noon | Aranya | Listening to the Indian Forest

An illustrated talk.
Vivek Menon is an Indian wildlife conservationist, author, photographer, and environmental leader, founding the Wildlife Trust of India and advising national, international conservation bodies. Introduced by Ravi Singh, Publisher, Speaking Tiger Books.

12 noon - 1:00pm | Dev Vann | Sacred Groves

 Mamang Dai, is a journalist-turned poet-novelist from Arunachal Pradesh. She has worked with World Wide Fund for nature in the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspots programme. Prof. Rekha M Shangpliang is a sociology professor and author, specialising in the Sociology of family, gender, and environment in the context of the Khasi forests and community. Dr. Neekee Chaturvedi is a historian and museologist studying Bishnoi conservation, folklore, and indigenous environmental practices. Moderated by Prof. Yogesh V Gokhale, ecologist and public policy expert, co - author of “Sacred Groves In India”.

1:00pm - 1:10pm | Devdar Aur Dev Vann

Poetry recital by Amar Nath, poet, environmentalist.

2:00pm – 3:00pm 

Book Launches. "A Girl, A Tiger and a Very Strange Story" by Paro Anand, published by Penguin Random House| "Chhani -Kharikon Mein" by Umesh Pant, published by Rajkamal Prakashan| "Our Rice Tastes of Spring" by Anumeha Yadav, published by Westland Books.

3:00pm – 4:00pm

India’s interconnectedness through sea routes that shaped maritime trade and cultural exchange by William Dalrymple.

 4:30pm - 5:30pm | Marine Conservation

Dr. Anant Pande is the Head of Oceans & Coasts Conservation, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), India. Murali Manoharakrishna is Lead for Marine Species, WWF - India. Presented in collaboration with WWF-India.

5:30pm – 6:30pm | Dhrishya Dastavez | Visual Documents Of Our Environment

Audio visual session with passionate documentors of the environment. Mike Pandey is a renowned environmental filmmaker, Milan Moudgill is a photographer and graphic designer bridging cinema, travel and landscape. In conversation with Neha Sinha, a conservation biologist and the Head of Conservation Partnerships at WWF-India. The session concludes with a tribute marking 50 years of Mike Pandey’s journey as a pioneering environmental activist and filmmaker.

7:00 pm | Celebrating 100th Birth Centenary of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Performance by Mayukh Hazarika, nephew of the “Bard of the Brahmaputra” Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. A delectable mix of songs that mark his birth centenary and give an insight into Dr. Hazarika's musical philosophy, coupled with personal anecdotes and unknown stories about the origin of some of the legend’s iconic songs.
 

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