from January 22nd to 26th, 2026 in Ramgarh Shekhawati, Rajasthan
The 10th edition of the Vedaaranya Heritage and Healing Festival, known as VHAH Fest was held from January 22-26, 2026 at Ramgarh Shekhawati, Rajasthan. Organised by MOHAR (museum of a heritage and Art at Ramgarh), a unit of Shruti Foundation in partnership with UNESCO, INTACH Shekhawati Chapter, Rajasthan Tourism, Birla Institute of Nursing and SDM Memorial School, Ramgarh), the tenth anniversary of VHAH FEST unfolded across the grand havelis, frescoed walls, chhatris, stepwells and the Ramgarh Fort in the Shekhawati region celebrated as India’s largest open air art gallery of the world and culturally magical town the most intense cluster of wall painting and a famous hub of Sanskrit learning and Ayurvedic medicine, Ramgarh Shekhawati, once known as Doosra Kashi. Notable to know that this town had the highest per capita income in the world in 1900. The festival is supported by UNESCO, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Incredible India and the Rajasthan Foundation.
VHAH Fest is an initiative envisioned and led by Lady Shruti Nada Poddar, Founder Shruti Foundation and Convener INTACH Shekhawati Chapter, who has dedicated herself to reviving and reimagining Shekhawati. Her work has brought global attention back to this region which was once abandoned by the wealthiest merchant families nearly a century ago. Through the festival and its programmes, she continues to restore the local economy, preserve its intangible traditions and rebuild Ramgarh as a Habitat of the Future where heritage healing, creativity and community come together.
The theme for the 2026 edition is Women in Heritage. The festival opened with a prestigious UNESCO Panel on Women in Heritage led by Tim Curtis (Head of UNESCO South Asia) and moderated by Dr Alka Pande. The panel featured eminent voices including Tim Curtis (Head of UNESCO for South Asia), H.H. Ranisa Kadambari Jadeja (Maharani of Rajkot), Musician and Film celebrity Ila Arun, Dr Rama Pandey (Author, Playwright and Theatre Personality), Alka Pande (Author, Arts Curator), Dr Ila Arun (Renowned Musician, Theatre Personality), Priyanka Solanki (local young woman from Ramgarh, Lady Shruti Nada Poddar and Tarun Thakral (Trustee of Shruti Foundation). Their conversations and spectacular shows explored the spectacular heritage of the Shekhawati region and particularly, the role of women in shaping heritage, the arts and the cultural imagination of India and the world.
HIGHLIGHTS OF VHAH FEST
A major cultural highlight was a grand musical evening by Ila Arun at Ramgarh Fort. The Ramgarh Fort hosted The Descent of Shakti, a powerful performance conceptualised by the internationally renowned artist-curator Gauri Sharma Tripathi and Tarini Trpathi. Visitors also experienced Dastaan Goi on the life of Meena Kumari performed by Fouzia the celebrated Daastango. The Grand Archway Gallery at Mohar Haveli presented an exhibition titled Raja Ravi Varma’s Women in Art and their influence on the Indian Mind with the graceful presence of the great descendant of a Raja Ravi Varma, Raja Rama Varma.
The festival also featured Chant and Cello, a powerful spiritual and classical musical experience by Saskia Rao de Haas and Dr Shruti Nada Poddar at the historic stepwells of Churu, Sethani ka Johad.following this, Folk traditions of Rajasthan came alive Manganiyaar musicians and the Kalbeliya community (UNESCO intangible heritage)
Irish Artist Siobhan Molloy and Jack Warnock performed in the beautifully candlelit courtyard of Mohar Haveli in a unique east-west collaboration with the Bhopal of Shekhawati. They brought together Irish melodies with folk rhythms.
Visitors discovered the healing traditions of Shekhawati through interactive sessions led by Chandanmal Swami Vaidya. Mind Mood and Food with Vidhi Beri explored the emotional and nutritional intelligence of everyday eating. Heritage walks took guests through the painted architecture of Ramgarh while evenings concluded with intimate candlelit gatherings and musical experiences. Artists, craftspersons, healers, designers and cultural leaders from India and abroad came together to exchange ideas and celebrate the living spirit of Shekhawati.
Schedule for the VHAH Fest 2026:
January 22nd, 2026 — Day 1
The festival opened with an immersive craft workshop on traditional durrie-making, bringing artisans and participants together in a shared creative process. The evening began with an auspicious yajna conducted by Lady Shruti Nada Poddar, invoking blessings for new beginnings. A soulful Irish music performance by Siobhan Molloy and Jack Warnock followed, setting a global-cultural tone for the festival.
The day concluded with an intimate dinner accompanied by light music, marking a warm and elegant start to the celebrations.
January 23rd, 2026 — Day 2 (Basant Panchami)
The day featured creative workshops on line drawing, mural-making, paint-making, and traditional dhurrie crafts.
The festival was formally inaugurated with Vedic chants and lamp-lighting, followed by a welcome by Vidhi Beri and an introduction to the festival by Lady Shruti Nada Poddar.
Dr. Tim Curtis, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia addressed the gathering as official institutional partner of the festival. A tribute to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was presented by Dr. Rama Pandey. Her Highness Maharani Ranisa Kadambari Jadeja, celebrity Ila Arun and Trustee Tarun Thakral addressed the gathering.
The much coveted Haveli Owners Conservation Handbook, edited by Shruti Nada Poddar and published by MOHAR was launched by the dignitaries at the inaugural ceremony of VHAH FEST, Awards were presented by digniyiries to the local achievers of shekhawati and the evening unfolded with the spectacular dance production The Descent of Shakti by Gauri Sharma Tripathi and Tarini Tripathi.
The day concluded with an inaugural dinner accompanied by traditional Bhopa Bhopi music.
January 24th, 2026 — Day 3
A special UNESCO panel on Women in Heritage brought together eminent voices Chaired by Dr. Tim Curtis, Regiinsl Director of UNESCO for South Asia, Moderated by Dr. Alka Pande, illustrious speakers wereHer Highness Maharani Ranisa Kadambari Jadeja, Ila Arun, Dr. Rima Hooja, Maestro Saskia Rao de Haas, Tarun Thakral, Dr. Rama Pandey, Lady Shruti Nada Poddar and Priyanka Solanki for a powerful dialogue on women’s role in cultural legacy.
The day also featured the launch of Devi and Her Avataars by Dr. Alka Pande and an art session exploring Raja Ravi Varma’s portrayal of women.
The evening unfolded at Sethani Ka Johad with Chant and Cello by Maestro Saskia Rao de Haas and Lady Shruti Nada Poddar, followed by a vibrant folk spectacle by Bhutte Khan Manganiyar’s troupe and Kalbeliya dancers.
The day concluded with a celebratory dinner, blending heritage, music, and living traditions.
January 25th, 2026 — Day 4
The day began with an engaging conversation on wellness through Mind, Mood and Food, followed by a session on traditional Ayurvedic wisdom with Vaidya Chandmal Swami and village healing practices. Participants explored the streets and markets of Ramgarh, experiencing its living heritage firsthand.
The evening featured the launch of Ila Arun’s autobiography Parde Ke Peechhey, followed by a fireside conversation that reflected on her artistic journey and life, ending with dance and frolic
Further into the evening unfolded Daastaan Goi – The Untold Story of Meena Kumari, presented by Fouzia Daastango, whose evocative storytelling drew the audience into the poignant world of Meena Kumari’s life, poetry and music, blending history with emotion and magic. This was followed by the grand finale, Taal Fry, a spectacular performance by a world-renowned musical percussion ensemble that brought together tabla, mridangam, ghatam, cajon, dholak, sitar, djembe, and Carnatic vocals, weaving North and South Indian traditions with classical and folk influences into a powerful and mesmerising musical experience and marking a fitting crescendo to the festival’s cultural journey.
The evening concluded with a celebratory and emotional farewell dinner for our artists and guest leaving the next morning
January 26th, 2026 — Day 5
The final day began with shared breakfasts and informal interactions among delegates and guests. Participants embarked on an outstation heritage tour, extending the cultural experience beyond Ramgarh and into the surrounding historical landscape.
The festival concluded with a farewell lunch, reflections and departures, bringing to a close a journey that celebrated heritage, art, dialogue, and collective cultural memory.
Speaking ahead of the festival Lady Shruti says that, “Ramgarh Shekhawati is a living heritage civilization and not simply a venue. She shares that the dream of VHAH Fest has always been to revive this extraordinary region and bring its creativity, wisdom and healing traditions back into the centre of public consciousness.” She adds that, “the tenth anniversary edition is a celebration of women and the feminine who have shaped heritage through the ages, in ways both visible and invisible and that the world will experience Shekhawati as a Habitat of the Future.”
Apart from the much-loved annual VHAH Fest, Ramgarh Shekhawati also owes a quiet yet enduring cultural revival to Shruti Nada Poddar through heritage spaces such as Mohar Haveli, museum of Heritage and Art at Ramgarh, The z grand Archway, the Art Gallery at MOHAR, Vedaaranya Haveli, Vedaaranya Crafts centre, poddar Cluster of Chhatries, The Veda temple built by Jaynarayan Poddar, Shani Mandir, Ganga. Mandir, Ramgopal Poddar Chhatri and the JOHADs (stepwells) among others.
Conceived as a living museum, Mohar Haveli is where beauty and hospitality seamlessly converge—frescoed walls, sun-washed courtyards and rooms that open out to sweeping views of the historic town create an immersive sense of place. The experience is elevated by thoughtfully prepared local cuisine, served with warmth and authenticity, and by curated collections of art and artefacts that allow guests to live within history rather than merely observe it. Together, these spaces have helped re-position Ramgarh not just as a destination to visit, but one to truly experience.
VHAH Fest honours Raas, Rang and Reet, the core pillars of celebration colour and tradition. The festival invites everyone to witness the remarkable artistic ecology of Ramgarh Shekhawati and to participate in its ongoing revival. As the region opens its restored havelis and cultural spaces to visitors it stands on the brink of a renewed future shaped by community creativity and heritage.
The Vedaaranya Heritage and Healing Festival promises an unforgettable experience in January 2026 as Shekhawati welcomes the world to rediscover its artistic genius, ancient knowledge and living cultural landscape and an unforgettable self-healing experience.
