New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI) A three-day festival “dedicated to the glory of Ayodhya” will be held in Delhi starting April 11 which will feature exhibitions of artworks themed on Lord Ram, miniature paintings based on the ‘Valmiki Ramayana’ and a symposium on temple management in the Indian society, officials on Wednesday said.

‘Ayodhya Parv’ — an initiative by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and Shri Ayodhya Nyas — is a unique endeavour that brings Indian art, spirituality and timeless values into renewed public focus in the heart of the capital, the Ministry of Culture said.

The festival evokes the cultural spirit nurtured through the Ramayana and the enduring voice of Tulsidas, the ministry said in a statement.

“This three-day cultural celebration will serve as a confluence of devotion, classical traditions, and dialogue, bringing together saints, cultural thinkers, policymakers, scholars and artists from across the country,” it said.

Dedicated to the glory of Ayodhya — a revered centre of Indian culture, art and devotion — ‘Ayodhya Parv’ will be held from April 11-13 at the IGNCA campus, officials said.

The festival will commence with the inauguration of an exhibition of artworks by painter Vasudev Kamath, based on ‘Maryada Purushottam’.

Alongside this, two special exhibitions will be on view — ‘Sundarakanda’, a collection of Pahari miniature paintings based on the ‘Valmiki Ramayana’, and ‘Badi Hai Ayodhya’, a pictorial representation of the pilgrimage tradition of the Chaurasi Kos Parikrama (84 kos circuit) around Ayodhya, it said.

Following the exhibition, a special discussion session will take place featuring Mahant Kamal Nayan Das of Maniramdas Chhawani, Geeta Manishi Mahamandaleshwar Pujya Gyananand Ji Maharaj, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, IGNCA chairman Ram Bahadur Rai, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and artist Vasudev Kamath, the statement said.

The evening will conclude with cultural performances, including ‘mridang vadan’ (percussion performance) and devotional singing. On the second day, a symposium on ‘Temple Management in Indian Society’ will be held in which the leading seers of Ayodhya will engage in dialogue with administrative and cultural experts.

Another symposium will focus on the ‘Contribution of Goswami Tulsidas in the Innovation of Indian Culture’, with scholars from across India presenting their insights. On the final day of the festival, a symposium titled ‘Shri Ram in the Essays of Kuber Nath Rai’ will feature prominent Hindi scholars.

The concluding ceremony will witness the presence of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj, Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar, the IGNCA chairman and artist Sunil Vishwakarma, it added. PTI KND AS AS