Purple Fest 2025 to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 21

Last year’s edition of the fest was also held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in which more than 10,000 PwDs participated

Purple Fest 2025, an event by the Social Justice Ministry to help persons with disabilities (PwDs), will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 21, the government said in a press release on Saturday.

President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (President of India - X)

Last year’s edition of the fest was also held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in which more than 10,000 PwDs participated.

In this year’s Purple Fest, there will be cultural events, sports competitions, and skill building workshops featuring PwDs and students from special and inclusive schools that incorporate disability friendly infrastructure and pedagogy. Visitors can explore the gardens of Amrit Udyan, which will be open exclusively for PwDs.

The event will have several programmes, such as the Purple Fun zone where disability rights organisations will host games. Purple Cafe will offer food prepared by chefs with disabilities. Purple Kaleidoscope will feature art created by artists with disabilities. The gallery will showcase accessible paintings and photographs that have audio and tactile descriptions and braille signs.

The Purple Live Experience Zone will offer games, dance workshops, and cultural performances by artistes with disabilities. Purple Sports will include sports activities such as wheelchair basketball, blind football, and boccia.

The Abilympics, or “Olympics of Abilities”, will bring together top talent from across the country in 12 vocations, showcasing the professional skills of PwDs. Purple Books, Movies and Canvas will give aspiring writers, directors, and photographers the chance to meet professionals in their fields.

The festival will conclude with a cultural evening attended by President Droupadi Murmu, featuring performances by artistes with disabilities.