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UN@80: Celebrating India's timeless wisdom, living traditions at Ajanta and Ellora
The event marked the 80th anniversary of the United Nations through an immersive convergence of art, heritage, diplomacy and sustainability.
When historian William Dalrymple took stage to speak about how ancient India transformed the World, everyone sat up and listened. Add to that the magic of the evening and the experience was complete. The Shiva invocation by Maharani Raseshwari Rajya Laxmi of Jaisalmer and Nick Booker whose Sanskrit chants and interpretations evoked the cosmic principle of Aikyam, Omkara performed by international artists using Kathak, Bharatnatyam and Odissi, were the other highlights of the ethereal experience at the forecourt of the monolithic Kailasa Temple, Ellora, carved from a single rock to honour Lord Shiva that transformed into an open-air amphitheatre that November evening, as the month drew to a close.
If Dalrymple spoke about the “golden road” that connected India’s civilizational ethos to UN’s global vision, other thought leaders including UNESCO Director Dr Timothy Curtis spoke about the legacy of Ajanta and Ellora: the earliest Indian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage and the venue of the three day sojourn organized by AIKYAM which saw the convergence of artists, scholars, historians and diplomats from over 30 countries at Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
The event marked the 80th anniversary of the United Nations through an immersive convergence of art, heritage, diplomacy and sustainability.
Set amid the rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora, AIKYAM 2025 put together a rare celebration of India’s timeless wisdom and living traditions even as it reinforced AIKYAM’s core message of global unity, responsible cultural tourism and the harmonious blending of tradition with modern innovation.
The festival also featured significant artistic and historical recreations, underscoring its theme of global cultural dialogue. The musical recreation of the historic 1967 UN General Assembly concert by Pandit Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin, expertly performed by Pandit Shubhendra Rao and Dutch cellist Saskia Rao-de Haas, emphasising dialogue as audible harmony was a “treat” to put it mildly, as was Brazilian artist Sergio Cordeiro’s contribution of a live mural reinterpreting the Ajanta murals in a contemporary idiom. Add to this, specially curated heritage tours to sites like the Daulatabad Fort and Bibi ka Maqbara, textile showcases of Paithani and Himroo, and a celebration of Maharashtrian cuisine, culminating in contemplative visits to the Ajanta caves and it was a “never seen and never to be missed” experience.
The cave-tour as also the initiative to blend India’s heritage with shared global values was a visual treat even as delegates rubbed shoulders with the High Commissioners of the United Kingdom and New Zealand; the Ambassadors of France, China, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Thailand among others.
It was a celebration rooted in the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, reminding us that the world is one family and reflecting Maharashtra’s legacy of bridging faiths, fostering art and inspiring unity across centuries. In 2024, the state recorded India's highest foreign tourist inflow with 3.71 million international visitors.
AIKYAM 2025 is a cultural initiative of Sopaan which boasts of curating cross-cultural programmes with the royal families of Jaisalmer and Gwalior. It has also worked closely with the Delhi Government.
Founded by Ambassador Monika Kapil Mohta and Siddhaant Mohta, Sopaan continues to build immersive cultural journeys that honour India’s heritage while fostering meaningful global dialogue. To quote its co-founder Siddhaant Mohta: “AIKYAM is a strategic initiative that reimagines how heritage, performance and dialogue can come together to build global understanding”.
Crafting rich, bespoke events that represent Indian cultural heritage on the world stage, bringing historical sites alive in a contemporary context and creating meaningful cross-cultural connections, Sopaan creates enriching sensory experiences that celebrate India’s living culture with ancient roots by blending music, dance, fashion, painting, sculpture, textiles, cinema, architecture and cuisine,
Its message: culture, when shared, becomes a bridge between people, nations and the collective future of humanity.
