By Muskan Ahuja Gurugram-based Samita Haldar recalls how, in her childhood, a baramasi aam tree in her backyard bore fruit throughout the year, and her mother would make a chutney out of those mangoes as a palate cleanser for lunch. She is all set to prepare Kancha Aamer Chatni, at the India International Centre (IIC) Festival of the Arts over the weekend in New Delhi. Haldar is presenting Ruposhi Bangla: A Bengali Culinary Tapestry and her menu draws on the comfort and nostalgia of her childhood kitchen, with dishes that tell stories of family and memory. The version of the chutneys she is presenting, Haldar explains, is not the typical Bengali chutney familiar to Punjabi or north-Indian households, but one that takes on a red hue from panch phoron, the Bengali five-spice blend. She hopes those tasting it for the first time will recognise that this is not their typical chutney, but something truly unique to Bengal. Now in its 21st edition, the Festival of the Arts runs from October 10 to 14 at the IIC, offering five days of performances, talks, exhibitions and regional cuisine. The theme of this year’s festival feels especially timely: Sā Vanitā: Thus She Speaks, which celebrates women’s voices, creativity and leadership across art, music, media and politics. “The 21st edition of the India International Centre Experience embodies the IIC’s spirit and continues its legacy as a space that supports diversity, creativity and freedom,” says Shri K.N. Shrivastava, director, India International Centre. The food festival which is called 'Celebrating the Women Chef', is curated by Sourish Bhattacharya, senior consultant for digital content and marketing at We The Chefs, and food historian Pushpesh Pant. It brings together regional cuisines from across India, each representing a different culinary heritage. Beyond food, the festival features an impressive line-up of speakers and curators. Reema Nanavaty, Director of SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) will be the keynote speaker at a discussion titled Women, Work, Resilience and Peace which will discuss SEWA’s role in the empowerment of women in India’s informal economy. She will be joined by Dr Bina Agarwal, Professor of Development Economics and Environment, Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK. Meanwhile, art scholars Mrinalini Vasudevan and Tapati Guha-Thakurta have curated A Star Named Arundhati, an exhibition on the life and legacy of Bengali actress, director and singer Arundhati Devi. Performances include a Hindustani Vocal Recital by Sniti Mishra, a Hindustani classical singer, on October 13 and Diva: The Triumph of Woman in Opera, an all-women choral presentation by the Neemrana Foundation on October 11. The visual arts programme includes The Splendor of Malay Dance: From Tradition to Contemporary Dance, which will be presented by ASK DANCE company from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the Fountain Lawns. From thought-provoking discussions to soulful performances and food steeped in nostalgia, the IIC Festival of the Arts remains one of Delhi’s most distinctive cultural gatherings — a meeting place for art, ideas and conversation. For more information, visit the IIC website. Muskan Ahuja is an intern at The Indian Express
