Assam

Janajati Sammelan 2026: Development Through Culture

Vivekananda Kendra — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 06:46:45 +0000

Janajati Sammelan 2026: Development Through Culture Vivekananda Kendra Sun, 12/28/2025 - 12:16

The Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture (VKIC), Guwahati, is organising the Janajati Sammelan 2026 on 30 & 31 January 2026 at The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati. The Sammelan coincides with VKIC’s Foundation Day celebrations and is envisioned as a major cultural initiative dedicated to the Janajati (indigenous) communities of Northeast Bharat.

Theme: Development Through Culture

The central theme of the Sammelan, “Development Through Culture,” reflects VKIC’s long-held conviction that sustainable and meaningful development must arise from a community’s own cultural foundations. Culture, as understood by VKIC, is not limited to art forms or attire but includes values, thought systems, social relationships, and ways of life that bind individuals and communities together in harmony.

About Janajati Sammelan 2026

The Janajati Sammelan 2026 will bring together 40 Janajati communities from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura on a common platform. The Sammelan seeks to reaffirm that Janajati communities are integral to Bharat’s civilisational mainstream, embodying values of harmony with nature, inter-dependence, community living, and sustainability.

Conceived as a dialogue-oriented and participatory process, the Sammelan encourages communities to:

Reflect on their cultural strengths
Correct misrepresentations of their traditions
Build confidence in the scientific basis, sanctity, and continuity of their way of life

It provides a shared space for elders, youth, women, scholars, and cultural practitioners, enabling the emergence of creative leadership from within the communities themselves.

Action-Oriented Cultural Platform

Beyond cultural celebration, the Janajati Sammelan also functions as an action-planning platform. Inputs gathered through discussions and local-level interactions will help shape future initiatives in:

Education
Health
Culture
Youth leadership
Women’s empowerment

By fostering trust, harmony, and self-belief, the Sammelan aims to revitalise Janajati culture as a living and dynamic force—resilient in the present and confident about the future.

Programme Highlights

Key highlights of the Janajati Sammelan 2026 include:

Participation of 40 Janajati communities from Northeast India
Ritual and cultural presentations
Interactive dialogue sessions
Exhibition-cum-sale of handloom and handicraft products
VKIC Foundation Day celebrations

About VKIC

Formally dedicated to the nation in 1993, the Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture is a research and documentation project of Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, covering the entire Northeast India. VKIC envisions itself as the Intellectual Fountainhead of Northeast Bharat, working through seminars, research, documentation, and community-based dialogue to inspire leadership and promote the idea of development rooted in culture.

Event Details

Event: Janajati Sammelan 2026
Dates: 30 & 31 January 2026
Venue: The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati
Occasion: VKIC Foundation Day

Event Start

Fri, 01/30/2026 - 00:01

Event End

Sat, 01/31/2026 - 23:59

VKIC Foundation Day

Assam

Crafts and Cultural Tourism in Assam: A Study in Sivasagar

Vivekananda Kendra — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:25:04 +0000

Crafts and Cultural Tourism in Assam: A Study in Sivasagar Vivekananda Kendra Wed, 11/19/2025 - 10:55

A two-day seminar on “Traditional Systems of the Rabha Community – Change and Continuity"

Vivekananda Kendra — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:07:28 +0000

A two-day seminar on “Traditional Systems of the Rabha Community – Change and Continuity" Vivekananda Kendra Mon, 10/27/2025 - 20:37

8th Dr. Minati Hazarika Memorial Annual Lecture, 2025

Vivekananda Kendra — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 05:45:30 +0000

8th Dr. Minati Hazarika Memorial Annual Lecture, 2025 Vivekananda Kendra Mon, 10/27/2025 - 11:15

Exploring the Depth of Assamese Culture — Its Foundation, Harmony, and Universality

The Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture (VKIC), Guwahati, in association with the Shiva Pragya Initiative, is pleased to announce the 8th Dr. Minati Hazarika Memorial Annual Lecture, 2025. The annual lecture series is one of VKIC’s significant intellectual platforms that promotes reflective dialogue on the cultural and philosophical heritage of Northeast India.

This year’s memorial lecture will be delivered by Prof. Amarjyoti Choudhury, an eminent educationist, scientist, poet, playwright, novelist, and orator from Guwahati, Assam. Prof. Choudhury will speak on the topic —

“অসমৰ সংস্কৃতি: অৱস্থিতি, সমন্বয় আৰু বিশ্বজনীনতা”

(Assamese Culture: Its Foundation, Harmony, and Universality).

The programme will be presided over by Lt Gen (Retd) Rana Pratap Kalita, Vice-Chairman, VKIC, whose leadership continues to inspire VKIC’s mission — Culture Nurtures Unity.

📅 Date: Saturday, 1st November 2025

🕔 Time: 5:00 p.m.

📍 Venue: Williamson Magor Auditorium, VKIC Complex, Riverside, Uzanbazar, M. G. Road, Guwahati – 781001

The event is convened by Prof. Shiela Bora, Director, VKIC.

Through this annual lecture, VKIC seeks to deepen the understanding of Assam’s rich cultural synthesis and highlight the relevance of its timeless values in today’s global context.

For more details, contact the VKIC Office: 94353 94131

Event Start

Sat, 11/01/2025 - 17:00

Lecture Series

Assam

Community Participatory Seminar on Traditional Systems of Rabha Community Change and Continuity

Vivekananda Kendra — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:12:36 +0000

Community Participatory Seminar on Traditional Systems of Rabha Community Change and Continuity Vivekananda Kendra Wed, 10/15/2025 - 19:42

Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture has long been involved in cultural research and preservation across Northeast India and now seeks to extend this mission to the Rabha people. In Collaboration with Bikali College, Dhupdhara to jointly organize the Community Participatory Seminar titled: "Traditional Systems of Rabha Community Change and Continuity" aims to explore the cultural, social, and economic transformations within the Rabha community, while also celebrating the rich traditional systems that continue to thrive. The seminar will bring together community members, researchers, students, and civil society to engage in meaningful dialogue and shared learning.

The Rabha community, predominantly inhabiting the Goalpara district of Assam, is one of the important indigenous communities of Northeast India with a distinct cultural heritage. Rich in both tangible and intangible traditions such as unique dances like Hanaghora, musical dramas like Bharigan, traditional crafts, and a rich oral tradition the community faces growing threats of cultural erosion due to modernization, migration, and acculturation. Language loss, declining ritual practices, and a disconnection between generations further compound the risk to Rabha identity.

This seminar, initiated by the Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture (VKIC), Guwahati, aims to undertake an extensive and detailed documentation of the customs and rituals of the Rabha community. As part of VKIC's broader mission to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, the seminar aspires to raise awareness, reinforce community self-confidence, and connect knowledgeable elders with the educated youth to preserve and revive cultural heritage.

The core objectives of the seminar are:

To document the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Rabha people through audio-visual means.
To assess the impact of acculturation and occupational shifts on traditional life ways.
To promote cultural continuity through community engagement.
To reconnect the elderly keepers of tradition with youth and scholars, fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer.

By engaging both practitioners and local youth, the seminar hopes to generate a sense of pride and ownership within the community about their cultural legacy. VKIC's previous success with similar documentation efforts among other Northeast communities provides a strong foundation for this initiative. In preserving Rabha heritage, this seminar envisions not only the safeguarding of traditions but also the empowerment of the community to evolve with confidence grounded in their identity and enriched by their cultural inheritance.

Your Involvement:

As an active Participant
As a Volunteer for Event Management
As a Contributor on the Themes

Event Start

Sat, 10/25/2025 - 09:00

Event End

Sun, 10/26/2025 - 19:00

Assam

Traditional Institutions- Change and continuity

Rabhas

Traditional Culture: Basis for Sustainable Development

Vivekananda Kendra — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 15:12:36 +0000

Traditional Culture: Basis for Sustainable Development Vivekananda Kendra Wed, 10/08/2025 - 20:42

Caste Tribe Continuum in Indian Society

Vivekananda Kendra — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:34:29 +0000

Caste Tribe Continuum in Indian Society Vivekananda Kendra Tue, 09/09/2025 - 12:04

Sage Vasistha in the Sandhyachala

Vivekananda Kendra — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:04:50 +0000

Sage Vasistha in the Sandhyachala Vivekananda Kendra Tue, 09/02/2025 - 15:34

Sanskriti Anveshak lecture by Shri Hanumantha Rao Ji

Vivekananda Kendra — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 09:16:19 +0000

Sanskriti Anveshak lecture by Shri Hanumantha Rao Ji Vivekananda Kendra Tue, 08/26/2025 - 14:46

Indian Knowledge System: Basis of our Way of Life – Vedanta

Vivekananda Kendra — Wed, 14 May 2025 05:11:13 +0000

Indian Knowledge System: Basis of our Way of Life – Vedanta Vivekananda Kendra Wed, 05/14/2025 - 10:41