Urgyen Art Festival – A Grand Cultural Celebration in Pune on the Centenary Year of Urgyen Sangharakshita

Theme: “Nirvana: The Attainment of Enlightenment” through Art, Music, and Meditation

Pune – The Urgyen Art Festival, a grand cultural event, is being jointly organized by the Triratna Institute and the Karunadeep Foundation from 21st to 26th August 2025 at the Bal Gandharva Art Gallery, Jangli Maharaj Road, Pune. The festival commemorates the birth centenary of Urgyen Sangharakshita (1925–2018), the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Community and a pioneer of the modern Buddhist revival. This information was shared by Dr. Asmita Gaikwad, Medical Director, Fortrea USA, during a press conference.

At the press conference held at Patrakar Bhavan, several eminent personalities were present, including Chandrashekhar Daithankar (former IG, IPS), Dr. Padmakar Pandit (former Dean, YCM), Dr. V. D. Gaikwad (former Dean, Cantonment Hospital Pune), Santosh Sankhad (Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning art director), producer Dh. Tejdarshan, and noted anchor Deepak Mhaske.

Based on the theme “Nirvana: The Attainment of Enlightenment”, the festival will create a confluence of art and Dhamma. Through exhibitions, live art performances, lectures, meditation workshops, and music-dance presentations, the vision of Sangharakshita will be highlighted—that art can serve as a doorway to spiritual realization. Around 200 artists and dignitaries from India and abroad are expected to participate.

A Visionary Legacy

Urgyen Sangharakshita bridged Eastern and Western traditions, giving modern Buddhism new dimensions. His contribution to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Buddhist movement was significant. Through his writings, discourses, and work for cultural-spiritual revival, millions across India and the world were inspired.

Major Events of the Festival

Day 1 – Thursday, 21st August

11:00 am – Inaugural Ceremony
Chief Guests: Padma Shri Ngawang Samten (former Vice-Chancellor, Central University for Tibetan Studies), Lokshahir Shri Sambhaji Bhagat (writer, director, singer), Kiran Mane (actor, writer)
Hosted by: Dr. Asmita Gaikwad

4:00 pm – Scholars’ Conference: Prof. Shrikant Ganveer, Atul Bhoslekar, Prasad Pawar

6:30 pm – Live Sculpture Presentation: Kishor Pawar

7:30 pm – Musical Evening: Shehnai Music Group, Amravati

Day 2 – Friday, 22nd August

11:00 am – Meditation Workshop: Higher Consciousness through Meditation and Art

4:00 pm – Panel Discussion: Dr. Manohar Desai, Nilesh Navalakha, Dhammachari Maitreya Bodhi, Sambhaji Bhagat

6:30 pm – Live Calligraphy: Dr. Manohar Desai

7:30 pm – Doctors’ Musical Evening: “Our Stories – Yours and Ours”

Day 3 – Saturday, 23rd August

11:00 am – Meditation Workshop: Why Do We Meditate?

4:30 pm – Panel Discussion: Tenzin Sundue, Prof. Kaveri Gill, Dr. Mahesh Devkar

6:30 pm – Live Painting Presentation

7:00 pm – Sarod Recital: Girish Charwad

Day 4 – Sunday, 24th August

11:00 am – Meditation Workshop: Creating Conditions Conducive for Meditation

4:00 pm – Book Release: Poems of Urgyen Sangharakshita (translated by Late Dhammachari Dharmarakshita)

6:30 pm – Sculpture Presentation: Prashant Gaikwad

7:30 pm – Marathi Ghazal Evening: Pt. Bhimrao Panchale

Day 5 – Monday, 25th August

11:00 am – Meditation Workshop: Understanding Equanimity and Vipassana

4:00 pm – Lectures on Buddhism and Art: Ashok Nagre, Dhammachari Prabodh Ratna, Sanjay Sonawani, Zen Master Suddhasan

6:30 pm – Live Painting Presentation

7:30 pm – Fusion Music Concert: Pawa World of Music

Day 6 – Tuesday, 26th August

11:00 am – Urgyen Sangharakshita Jayanti Celebration: Dr. Dhammacharini Amitmati, Dr. Gokhale

3:00 pm – Sculpture Presentation: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar & Urgyen Sangharakshita (by Prashant Gaikwad & Kishor Pawar)

4:00 pm – Artists’ Felicitation Ceremony: Honored by Dr. Jabbar Patel.
Awardees: Santosh Sankhad, Dr. Padmakar Pandit

6:30 pm – Tabla Solo: Pt. Mukesh Jadhav

7:00 pm – Violin–Tabla Jugalbandi: Pt. Atulkumar Upadhye & Pt. Mukesh Jadhav