Weekend events you can’t miss in Patna (Jan 23-26)

Using wood-carving tools, scrapes and deeply etches through multiple layers of acrylic paint, artist Eva Malhotra creates surfaces that resist smoothness and flatness in her show at Bihar Museum

* Say your piece

Artist Eva Malhotra is showcasing unique installations in an exhibition titled Call to the Mystic at the Bihar Museum. (Incredible India website)

An English-language open-mic night titled Resonate arrives in Patna as a genre-fluid, all-ages platform built around voice, participation, and shared listening.

Framed as a meeting point rather than a showcase, the session welcomes poetry, storytelling, clean comedy, music and karaoke, encouraging first-timers and seasoned performers alike to take the stage. The atmosphere leans retro, drawing subtle inspiration from global countercultural figures such as John Lennon, Joan Baez, Bob Marley and Led Zeppelin, while also nodding to ancient symbols as markers of rhythm and cosmic creativity. The emphasis is on expression without hierarchy, where words, humour and song move freely across generations. Audiences are invited not just to watch, but to listen, feel and respond.

Where: The Bifrost Studio

When: January 25, 4 pm

Entry: ₹99 for audience pass; ₹149 for performer pass

* Can you hold a tune?

Check out an English and Hindi karaoke night this weekend. The event invites attendees to perform individual songs before a live audience, with selections ranging from popular film tracks to widely recognised international numbers. Structured as a non-competitive format, the session is open to singers across experience levels, with performances unfolding in a shared, informal setting.

Where: The Bifrost Studio

When: January 24, 8 pm

Entry: Prices start at ₹99

* Laughing through the tears

In his solo stand-up show Bihar Me Apka Swagat Hai, comedian Mohammed Waris draws on personal experience, as he explores growing up and adulting in Bihar. Expect everyday encounters viewed through the lenses of identity, place and self-image, all of it rooted in humour. A recurring thread is his experience of navigating the state as an overweight boy. Performed in a mix of Hindi, Hinglish and English, Bihar Me Apka Swagat Hai is a narrative-driven laugh riot.

Where: Planet Patna

When: January 25, 4 pm

Entry: Prices start at ₹199

* Threads of tradition: Bandhani

The Grand Bandhani Exhibition arrives in Patna as a focused showcase of Bandhani textiles and handcrafted apparel. Curated by clothing label Sankalp Bandhej, the exhibition brings together a range of traditional offerings, including saris, dupattas and festive ensembles. Rooted in the resist-dyeing techniques associated with Rajasthan and Gujarat, the selection spotlights colour, pattern and handwork central to the craft’s legacy.

An exhibition-cum-sale, the event is structured to allow visitors to engage directly with regional textile traditions.

Where: Hotel Maurya

When: January 24 to 26, 9 am to 9 pm

Entry: Free

* Layers of knowing

Artist Eva Malhotra is showcasing unique installations in an exhibition titled Call to the Mystic. The works are rooted in uncovering rather than in creation, with a focus on revealing what already exists. Using wood-carving tools, scrapes and deeply etches through multiple layers of acrylic paint, she creates surfaces that resist smoothness and flatness. Her art appear energetic and alive as a result, shaped by intersecting lines, forms and colours that suggest microcosms in gradual emergence.

Where: Bihar Museum

When: Until February 28 (Mondays closed)

Entry: Prices start at ₹25