Tawi Festival 2026 to celebrate heritage, environment and ideas in Jammu

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Jammu will host a vibrant celebration of art, culture and intellectual dialogue as the 4th Edition of the Tawi Festival takes place from 6th to 15th March 2026.
Gathering together leading scholars, artists, environmentalists and cultural practitioners, the festival promises ten days of meaningful engagement rooted in the region’s heritage and contemporary concerns.
The festival is being organized by the Amar Mahal Museum and Library (AMML) in collaboration with Kala Kendra and IIT Jammu.
The formal inauguration will take place on 13th March 2026 at the historic Amar Mahal Palace and will be inaugurated by Dr Karan Singh. The opening day will feature a seminar on “Environment and Heritage”, including a keynote address by eminent ecologist Dr Rajesh Thadani and expert deliberations on biodiversity, sacred groves and heritage trees of the region. The Art Camp and Exhibitions at Kala Kendra will be jointly inaugurated by Dr Karan Singh and B. M. Sharma, IFS, Principal Secretary, Culture, JKUT.
The festival activities begin earlier on 6th March with a workshop on “Elements of Basohli Miniature Painting” by noted artist Sohan Singh Billawaria at Amar Mahal. A Curtain Raiser on 12th March at IIT Jammu will feature an address by Dr. Karan Singh followed by an interaction with students.
A major highlight this year is a special exhibition of photo essays by senior journalists, to be held from 13th to 23rd March 2026, documenting the devastating floods in the region and the impact of war in the border areas.
The exhibition seeks to present compelling visual narratives of resilience, displacement and lived realities.
On 14th March, discussions under the theme “Literature and Ideas” will bring together eminent writers and poets from the borderlands. IIT Jammu faculty and students will present oral histories from Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch, foregrounding stories of memory and survival. The evening will conclude with a music recital by Vijay Singh Sambyal (Rangeelay Thakur) and students.
The festival will culminate on 15th March with a cultural Mela at the Amar Mahal lawns featuring crafts, organic cuisine, pottery, block printing, books in local languages and folk performances.
A special concluding session will host a discussion on “A Statesman and a Seeker: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Dr Karan Singh”, the authorised biography by Prof. Harbans Singh. The session will be conducted in the presence of Dr Karan Singh, with Prof. Rekha Choudhary in conversation with the author and Dr Karan Singh.
The festival is being supported by the Hari Tara Charitable Trust, Jammu.