Culture Plus presents Sufi in a new light

The second edition of the Sufi Heritage Festival, powered by Aadyam Handwoven (an Aditya Birla initiative), will be held at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery on February 28 and March 1. Time: 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Conceptualised by Yasmin Kidwai and Himanshu Anand under Culture Plus, the festival celebrates Sufism and bhakti in their entirety through performances, literature, spoken word, immersive workshops, and a bazaar designed as a multi-sensory journey.

The programming unfolds across two stages — Samaa (main stage) and Bebaak (contemporary stage). Samaa will feature performances by Sona Mohapatra, Daler Mehndi, and Marham Poetry, while Bebaak will spotlight bold reinterpretations and modern expressions with artistes such as Sonam Kalra, Saumya Kulshreshtha, Aahvaan Project, Shinjini Kulkarni, and the Murad Ali Collective.

Sonam Kalra
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“The festival is not just about performance,” says Himanshu Anand. “It is a space for reflection. Our curation draws from the spiritual and poetic traditions of the Mystics — Sufi or bhakti — love, surrender, unity, and the dissolving of boundaries. The intention is to create an inclusive cultural experience where art becomes a bridge, not a spectacle.”

Yasmin Kidwai echoes the sentiment: “The Sufi Heritage Festival has its foundation in Delhi, but its language is universal. Sufism has always transcended borders — of faith, geography, and identity — and the festival reflects that spirit. It is deeply local in its roots, yet global in its outlook.”

Besides this, the festival also includes a Sufi Bazaar, a curated marketplace featuring over 15 artisan-led brands from across India. Conceived by Yasmin Kidwai and Manish Saksena, the bazaar brings together heirloom crafts, textile traditions, and handmade objects, positioning craft as living heritage shaped by memory, skill, and storytelling.

Tickets at district.in/ events/ sufi-heritage