SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo is presenting its upcoming Fifth Session of the SAARC Talk Series 2025 on 28th August 2025 (Thursday) at 3:00 pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time). The lecture will be delivered by Maryam Thawfeega, Fellow at Maldives National College of Heritage, Ministry of Dhivehi Language, Culture and Heritage,Maldives.
Maryam Thawfeega will deliver his lecture on the topic “Literature as a Cultural Heritage: Stories Traditionally Told to Maldivian Children”.
All are cordially invited. Please do spread the word.
Join us via Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88585144649
Meeting ID: 885 8514 4649
We look forward to your participation and engaging discussions during this enlightening lecture.
Your literary adventure awaits!!
SAARC Cultural Centre in collaboration with the Colombo Public Library presents a two-day ‘SAARC Children’s Literary Festival on the theme Celebrating Folktales through Children’s Literature’ from 30-31 August 2025. The festival promises to ignite young imaginations and celebrate the power of folktales in uniting hearts and minds across borders.
Dates – 30-31 August 2025
Venue – Colombo Public Library
Time – 10 am – 4 pm To participate in the event, fill the Google link: https://forms.gle/gq3d8H2aGVnpwPgH9 
SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo is presenting its upcoming Fourth Session of the SAARC Talk Series 2025 on 29th July 2025 (Tuesday) at 3:00 pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time). The lecture will be delivered by Bhushita Vasistha, Writer and Fulbright Scholar, San José State University, USA.
Bhushita Vasistha will deliver his lecture on the topic “Nepal, the Phantom Colony: Rethinking South Asian Postcolonialism Beyond the Borders of Empire”.
All are cordially invited. Please do spread the word.
Join us via Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82973955167
Meeting ID: 829 7395 5167
We look forward to your participation and engaging discussions during this enlightening lecture.
Puppetry is a living expression of centuries-old beliefs, customs, and folklore, a vibrant storytelling tradition that bridges generations and cultures. It is a living classroom, teaching history, values, and art through an engaging and inclusive form of performance.
The SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Colombo, Sri Lanka is proud to host the SAARC Puppetry Fest 2025, a three-day celebration of South Asia’s rich puppet traditions. This unique festival aims to promote regional unity through cultural integration and intercultural dialogue, strengthening the bonds among SAARC nations.
Festival Dates and Venues:
15 July 2025 5.30 PM Onwards: Dutch Hospital Street, Fairway Colombo
16 July 2025 09.15 AM – 12.15 PM: Sri Palee Campus, University of Colombo,
17 July 2025 3.30 PM Onwards: Puppet Museum, Ambalangoda
Featured Puppetry Groups:
Puppet Theatre Research and Development Centre of Bangladesh (PTRDCB), Jahangirnagar University.
Dolls Theatre, Kolkata, India.
Tikiri & Co., Lucksiri Puppet Artists, and the Puppet Museum, Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka.
These distinguished groups will bring both traditional and contemporary stories to life, using the timeless art of puppetry to create social awareness and celebrate intangible cultural heritage.
All performances and exhibitions are FREE and open to the public, a perfect opportunity for families, students, artists, and cultural enthusiasts to witness the magic of puppetry first-hand!
Special thanks to our Official Hospitality Partner: Fairway Colombo
for supporting this colorful cultural celebration.
Come, see, and celebrate the timeless magic of South Asian puppetry with us!
Participatory Programme – Royal Government of Bhutan
1. Introduction
It is believed that rice was domesticated in Asia more than 5,000 years ago and since then has been a part of the diet in Asia. Rice is one of the most important staple foods of the SAARC Region and has been cultivated in all SAARC Member States for centuries. This has gradually changed with the population increase and globalization making it cheaper to import, and the traditional rice varieties and cultivation have disappeared from some areas. The Festival of Rice Culinary Arts and Spice Exhibition is planned with the intention to revitalize the intangible cultural heritage associated with traditional foods of Asia which is based on rice and spice. This programme will highlight the resilient cultural heritage of the SAARC Region and help in the process of recovering and rebuilding after the global pandemic.
There are many rituals associated with rice including being the main food item at celebrations, festivals, life events such as birth, marriage and death, etc. Rice made for special occasions are flavoured by spices and other ingredients which are found in each Member State. Rice is also used in creating multiple types of foods including porridge, sweets, breads, medicines and fermented drinks. The SAARC Member States use different processes to create these food items and add different ingredients to increase the nutrition and flavours.
The Festival of Rice Culinary Arts and Spice Exhibition will be an opportunity for culinary artists to compare and contrast their processes, styles and methods of cooking with the others of the Region. The exhibition will also reflect different aspects of the shared cultural heritage of the SAARC Region.
2. Objectives
The main objectives of the SAARC Festival of Rice Culinary Arts and Spice Exhibition are as follows:
3. Programme
The SAARC Festival of Rice Culinary Arts and Spice Exhibition will have different components which will be used to highlight the culinary arts associated with rice varieties of the Member States and the intangible cultural heritage which are slowly disappearing. This will be a 4-day programme and all participants of the Member States shall participate in all the segments of the programme.
1) Food Festival
There will be stalls allocated to each participant Member State to share their rice-based traditional, fusion and modern food, street foods and others for the public to enjoy. The menus for the food festival will be decided by the participants of each Member State. Ingredients which should be made available for food preparation should be conveyed to the SAARC Cultural Centre by the participants at the earliest. The SCC will inform the participants of available resources at the earliest. All Member States should participate in the Food Festival and should be prepared to bring all the necessary special ingredients to prepare the food.
2) Live Cooking Demonstrations
The Festival will also provide an opportunity for live cooking demonstrations of street/local rice-based cuisines of the Region. The choice of food for live cooking demonstrations is at the discretion of the Member States and the participants. This could include staple food, savoury, sweet, snacks, drinks, etc., based on rice. All Member States should participate in this event and necessary ingredients, utensils, etc., should be planned ahead in coordination with the SAARC Cultural Centre.
3) Spice Exhibition
The Member States have different spices which enrich the taste of the food. The raw material for the spices is very similar but the quantities used and the ingredients mixed are slightly different creating different aromas of the food. The Spice Exhibition will be an opportunity to display the native spices of the Member States and provide an opportunity for the public to appreciate the different spices. The participants of the Member States should be able to introduce the spices with the specific ingredients and the special food made with these spices authentic to each Member State.
4) Exhibition of Traditional Implements used in Rice Culinary Arts
SAARC Member States are the inheritors of multiple utensils created to meet the needs of cuisines before the industrial age. Today many of these implements are replaced by electronic gadgets which makes the tasks faster but sometimes there is a slight difference in the taste. For example, hand ground (using mortar and pestle) rice has more fibre in the flour than the machine ground rice. This will be an opportunity to introduce the younger generation to fast disappearing utensils and to learn about their uses. Some of these implements will be heavy and the SAARC Cultural Centre hopes that the participants will bring photographs / sketches of traditional implements to be displayed. This will provide an opportunity to understand the similarities and differences in the traditional culinary implements of the SAARC Region. All Member State should try to bring the portable utensils, photographs, documentaries, videos, etc., of traditional utensils for this segment of the programme.
5) Workshop and Webinar on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Rice Culinary Arts
During the festival, the participants will be given an opportunity to discuss the intangible cultural heritage of rice culinary arts and to share knowledge and information. This will also give an opportunity for the culinary experts in the SAARC Region to share their views and ideas virtually. The webinar information will be made available and will be an open forum where culinary experts and practitioners of the culinary intangible heritage of the Region can participate in real-time. This information will be documented and shared online. All Member States should participate physically and virtually.
4. Participants
1) Officially Nominated Participants from the Member States
The honoured Member States to select participants who can contribute to the multiple segments of the Programme mentioned above. At least one participant should be able to share their knowledge / skills on each segment.
i. Host Member State of the Royal Government of Bhutan is invited to nominate a maximum of twenty (20) participants. Other Member States are invited to nominate a maximum of six (06) participants for the SAARC Festival of Rice Culinary Arts and Spice Exhibition.
ii. The Honoured Member States are respectfully requested to take into consideration the following guidelines.
2) Other Participants from the Member States
i. Category A – The SAARC Cultural Centre would also accept the participation of other Experts from the Member States (other than the Official Nominees of the respective SAARC Member States).
ii. Category B – Participants from the Host Country where the event is held can participate. (Participants with culinary experience of rice cuisines in the Royal Government of Bhutan and traditional methods of creating various dishes can be included in this category.)
3) Virtual Participants – All Member States to nominate any number of Rice Culinary Experts / Intangible Cultural Practitioners of Rice Culinary Arts to join the Workshop/Webinar virtually. The Virtual activities will be open to the Public.
5. Nomination Procedure and Deadline
1) The names of all participants (Official & Other Participants Category A & B), relevant biographical information including their culinary experiences, contact details and copy of passport should be sent through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs / External Affairs of the Member State via the SAARC Secretariat to the SAARC Cultural Centre.
2) The Member States are required to send their Official and Other nominations for the SAARC Festival of Rice Culinary Arts and Spice Exhibition via the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs / External Affairs at the earliest.
3) All Participants (Official Nominees and Other Participants) must fill the Registration Form which is attached as Annexure 1.
6. Additional Information for the Participants
1) Transport (Airfare) of the nominated participants to the Host Member State should be borne by the nominating Member State as per SAARC practice.
2) All local hospitality including accommodation, meals and local transportation will be provided for the officially nominated participants for the official duration of the Programme by the SAARC Cultural Centre.
3) General ingredients (vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, etc.) for the cuisine, if available in the Host Member State will be provided by the SAARC Cultural Centre. The list of ingredients and required quantities need to be sent to the SAARC Cultural Centre by the participants before the programme.
4) Required cooking utensils (ovens, cookers, pots and pans, etc.) will be provided by the SAARC Cultural Centre, however, specific requirements should be conveyed to the Centre by the participants.
7. Dates
14-17 October 2025
8. Venue of the Programme
Paro/Punakha, Bhutan.
9. Contact Information
Mr. Sikder Md’ Zulkernine
Deputy Director – Programmes
SAARC Cultural Centre
Colombo
Sri Lanka.
Email : ddp.sccsaarc@gmail.com
Registration Form : PDF Document Download / Word Document Download
SAARC Cultural Centre invites original research articles (non-thematic topics) book reviews and interviews that delve into various aspects of South Asia’s cultural expressions and heritage.
Submission Guidelines for articles:
Submission Guidelines for Book Reviews:
Submission Guidelines for the Interviews
All submissions must be original and must not have been published, accepted or submitted elsewhere. The manuscript will be subjected to a blind review process. The final decision regarding the publication will be taken by the Editorial Board. All submissions will be screened for plagiarism. For more details, visit – www.saarcculture.org or write to sccpublications@gmail.com.
Deadline for Submission- 15th September 2025.
SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo is presenting its upcoming Third Session of the SAARC Talk Series 2025 on 13th June 2025 (Friday) at 3:00 pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time). The lecture will be delivered by Prof.Sudeshna Guha, Department of History and Archaeology, Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence, India (Delhi NCR).
Prof.Sudeshna Guha will deliver his lecture on the topic “Heritage Histories and Museum Archaeology: Exploring Practice and Disciplinary Domains”.
All are cordially invited. Please do spread the word.
Join us via Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85791248782
Meeting ID: 857 912 48782
We look forward to your participation and engaging discussions during this enlightening lecture. 
Join us for the Second Session of the online forum under the theme ‘Remembering 20th Century South Asian Women in Culture’
Date: Wednesday, 21st May 2025
Time: 3pm-5pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time)
Join via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86295594642
Meeting ID: 862 9559 4642
This online forum will feature five women figures whose contributions and ideas helped shape the South Asian cultural landscape in the 20th Century, a period of significant social, cultural, and economic change.
The forum will feature:
INDIA
Dr. Kapila Vatsayan (1928-2020) – scholar of Indian classical dance, art, theatre traditions, architecture, and art history and founding director of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
PAKISTAN
Bano Qudsia (1928-2017) – Pakistani novelist and playwright
BHUTAN
Gyalyum Phuntsho Choden Wangchuk (1911-2003), the queen of the second king of Bhutan
MALDIVES
Al-Nabeela Aminath Hussein (1917-1990) – Principal of the first girl’s school in the Maldives, member of the first Parliament formed in the Republic of Maldives and a prominent poetess
SRI LANKA
Sivagami Verina Obeyesekere (1929-2017) – former Cabinet Minister of Health, educationist, and founder of Laksala and Lakpahana
Our Speakers:
SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo is presenting its upcoming Second Session of the SAARC Talk Series 2025 on 25th April 2025 (Friday) at 3:00 pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time).
The lecture will be delivered by Prof. Thakur S Powdyel, Former Minister of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan.
Prof. Thakur S Powdyel will deliver his lecture on the topic “Our SAARC Universities: Re-claiming the Soul of Their Role”.
All are cordially invited. Please do spread the word.
Join us via Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84314562491
Meeting ID: 843 1456 2491
We look forward to your participation and engaging discussions during this enlightening lecture.
SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo is presenting its upcoming First Session of the SAARC Talk Series 2025 on 27th March 2025 (Thursday) at 3:00 pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time). The lecture will be delivered by Prof. Md. Masood Imran, Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Prof. Md. Masood Imran will deliver his lecture on the topic “Heritage Diplomacy: Negotiating the Mechanisms of Geographical Indication Rights to Safeguard the Shared Living Cultural Heritage of South Asia”.
All are cordially invited. Please do spread the word.
Join us via Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82103748736
Meeting ID: 821 0374 8736
We look forward to your participation and engaging discussions during this enlightening lecture.
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