Travancore Palace to host two-day culture fest on Delhi’s layered history

The "Kahani: Dilli Ki" festival at Travancore Palace explores Delhi's cultural history and urban change through discussions and immersive experiences.

In a city where history survives in fragments — in its villages, terraces, markets and memories — a two-day festival at Travancore Palace this weekend will attempt to piece together Delhi’s many stories through conversations on culture, community and urban change. Titled “Kahani: Dilli Ki”, the art and culture festival will bring historians, archaeologists, writers and cultural practitioners together to reflect on the capital’s layered past and evolving identity.

Travancore Palace to host two-day culture fest on Delhi’s layered history

Organised by Indophile, with support from the ministry of culture, the festival will be held on February 14 and 15 and is envisioned as a celebration of the cultural legacy of Delhi. The festival will run from 11am at Travancore Palace, Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Tickets can be purchased online.

Sessions such as “Ruralisation to Urbanisation of Delhi’s Villages”, “Many Cities, Many Histories” and “What Does it Mean to Keep a City Alive” will explore how Delhi’s social and cultural fabric has evolved across time.

For 32-year-old cultural experience consultant Abu Sufiyan Khan, one of the speakers on the panel titled “What does it mean to keep a city alive: Letter from Delhi’s Micro-Communities”, the festival offers an opportunity to build communities that work to preserve culture through immersive experiences.

“I grew up in old Delhi and then moved to Chandigarh to pursue BTech. In those four years, when I was away from Delhi, I realised how much the city offers and the things that we residents take for granted,” Khan said.

Archaeologist Anica Mann, who will speak at the panel “Sheher Ke Gaon: From Ruralisation to Urbanisation with Delhi’s Villages”, said the economic reforms of the early 1990s reshaped the capital’s housing landscape; a shift that must be documented and discussed.

“Following the reforms, the influx of global markets and technology brought sweeping changes to life in the capital, including the way homes were designed and used. Where houses once featured expansive gardens, the growing need for parking gradually reduced these green spaces. Terraces, too, which were once intimate spaces for leisure, connection and everyday rituals, have largely disappeared or become inaccessible, reflecting a broader shift in urban living,” Mann said.