The Pondicherry Heritage Festival continues to celebrate the singular character of this extraordinary town and its environs.  Originally conceived as a way of drawing attention to the need to conserve Pondicherry’s outstanding architectural legacy, the festival has expanded its scope to embrace all manner of intangible traditions.

As part of the Pondicherry Heritage Festival-2023, ‘Creative Expression Program for School and College Students’ was jointly organized by INTACH, PondyCAN & People for Pondicherry Heritage with event partners, including AuroBharati, Sri Aurobindo Society, Alliance Francaise, Akalvya School, Puducherry, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pondicherry & Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pondicherry from 19^th November, 2023 to 8^th December, 2023.

Solo Classical Dancing, Svara and Taala Instruments & Group singing

(classical and Non-classical)/ Akalavya School, Pondicherry:

Dr Kishor Kumar Tripathy, Member Secretary, AuroBharati, Sri Aurobindo Society attended the program and said about the foundational techniques, creativity and unique expressions, emotions and interpretations. He also mentioned about the Svara and Taala Instruments, including rhythm exploration, rhythm structures and the integrity of compositions.

Students representing various institutions of Puducherry performed Solo Classical Dancing, Svara and Taala Instruments & Group singing (classical and Non-classical) during the program on the five themes of Sustainable Development Goals, including Clean water and sanitation, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action, Life on land and Life below water.

Group Dancing, Instrumentals and Singing (Classical and Non- Classical):

This program was organized at Alliance Francaise with an emphasis on  Group Dancing Group Instrumentals and Group Singing (Classical and Non- Classical). The program was unique in nature in exploring the experimentation with tempo, variations, and improvisations, innovative compositions blending diverse musical elements, unique expressions and musical discoveries, experiment with different vocal textures and tones to create a rich and diverse sound.

Painting, Mime Group and Poster and Speech Competition:

The program was organized at Sri Aurobindo Society/ Alliance Francaise on 27^th November, 2023. On this occasion, Dr Kishor Kumar Tripathy, Member Secretary, AuroBharati, Sri Aurobindo Society and Dr. Kannan highlighted about the significance of preserving the heritage and the role of Pondicherry heritage Festival. Significance of ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership’ was one of the important areas of this program. Students representing various schools presented their creative expressions during the occasion.

Award Ceremony

On this occasion, Dr. Kishor Kumar Tripathy, Member Secretary, AuroBharati, Sri Aurobindo Society welcomed the dignitaries and participants of the program. He briefed about the activities undertaken during the PHF-2023 and mentioned about the vision of Maharshi Aurobindo and The Mother on Sustainable Development and conscious effort for preservation of cultural heritage and sustainability.

Sri Pradeep Narang, Chairman, Sri Aurobindo Society and Pioneers of Pondicherry Heritage Festival, People for Pondicherry Heritage Festival, PondyCAN& INTACH, Pondicherry, including Ms. Sunaina Mandeen, Ms. Kakoli Banerjee, Ms. Varalakshmi and Shri Ashok Panda graced the occasion. They highlighted the significance of heritage and the role of Sustainable Development Goals for the preservation rich heritage, including Clean water and sanitation, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action, Life on land and Life below water.

More than one thousand students from different schools, colleges and Universities participated and shared their talent on different aspects of the rich and diversity of cultural expressions leading to sustainability.

The event was supported by Department of Tourism, Government of Puducherry, Svarnim Puducherry, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, All for Water for all, Kariappa House, Fair Trade Twin Towns, Pondy Patrenting Hub, Pondicherry BeachEscapes, Bitasta, Pondicherry YACHT Club, Crafts Council of Puducherry, Popsicle Stories, Directorate of Higher & Technical Education and Directorate pf School Education, Government of Puducherry.