The Vedaaranya Heritage and Healing Festival, known as VHAH Fest will take place from January 22-26, 2026 at Ramgarh, Shekhawati, Rajasthan. Presented by Shruti Foundation, UNESCO and INTACH, the tenth anniversary edition will unfold across the grand havelis’ frescoed walls, chhatris, stepwells, and the Ramgarh Fort in the region celebrated as India’s largest open-air art gallery of the world, and once known as Doosra Kashi. This town had the highest per capita income in the world in 1900. The festival is supported by UNESCO, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Incredible India and the Rajasthan Foundation.
VHAH Fest is an initiative envisioned and led by Shruti Nada Poddar, who has dedicated herself to reviving and reimagining Shekhawati. Her work has brought global attention back to this region which was once abandoned by the wealthiest merchant families nearly a century ago. Through the festival and its programmes, she continues to restore the local economy, preserve its intangible traditions and rebuild Ramgarh as a Habitat of the Future where heritage healing, creativity and community come together.
The theme for the 2026 edition is Women in Heritage. The festival will open with a prestigious UNESCO Panel on Women in Heritage led by Tim Curtis Head of UNESCO South Asia and moderated by Dr Alka Pande. The panel will feature eminent voices including Tim Curtis (Head of UNESCO for South Asia), H.H. Ranisa Kadambari Jadeja (Maharani of Rajkot), Padma Bhushan Pandit Sajan Misra, Musician and Film celebrity Ila Arun, Padmashree Geeta Chandran (Renowned Performing Artist), Dr Rama Pandey (Author, Playwright and Theatre Personality), Alka Pande (Author, Arts Curator), Dr Ila Arun (Renowned Musician, Theatre Personality), Priyanka Solanki (local young woman from Ramgarh and Dr Shruti Nada Poddar. Their conversations and spectacular shows will explore the spectacular heritage of the Shekhawati region and particularly, the role of women in shaping heritage, the arts and the cultural imagination of India and the world.
HIGHLIGHTS OF VHAH FEST
A major cultural highlight will be a grand musical evening by Ila Arun at the historic Sethani ka Johad in Churu. The Ramgarh Fort will host The Descent of Shakti, a powerful performance conceptualised by the internationally renowned artist curator Gauri Sharma Tripathi. Visitors will also experience Dastaan Goi on the life of Meena Kumari, performed by Fouzia the celebrated Daastango. The Grand Archway Gallery at Mohar Haveli will present an exhibition titled Raja Ravi Varma’s Women in Art and Their Influence on the Indian Mind with the graceful presence of His Highness Raja Rama Varma.
The festival will also feature Chant and Cello, a spiritual and classical musical experience by Saskia Rao de Haas and Dr Shruti Nada Poddar. Irish artist Siobhan Molloy will perform in the beautifully painted chhatris of Ramgarh. A unique east-west collaboration with Jack Warnock and the Manganiyars will bring together Irish melodies with Rajasthani rhythms. Folk traditions of Rajasthan will come alive with performances by Langa musicians and the Kalbeliya community.
Visitors will discover the healing traditions of Shekhawati through interactive sessions led by Manju Misra and Chandanmal Swami Vaid. Mind, Mood and Food with Vidhi Beri will explore the emotional and nutritional intelligence of everyday eating. Heritage walks will take guests through the painted architecture of Ramgarh, while evenings will conclude with intimate candlelit gatherings and musical experiences. Artists, craftspersons, healers, designers and cultural leaders from India and abroad will come together to exchange ideas and celebrate the living spirit of Shekhawati.
Schedule for the VHAH Fest 2026 :
- January 22nd – 26th, 2026: WOMEN by Raja Ravi Varma – How They “Shaped” India – showcased by Raja Rama Varma (Descendant of Raja Ravi Varma)
- January 23rd, 2026: The Descent of Shakti – A spectacular show at the Ramgarh Fort by internationally renowned artist and curator Gauri Sharma Tripathi and co-artists
- January 24th, 2026: the powerful UNESCO panel on “Women in Heritage” led by TIM Curtis – head of UNESCO for South Asia
- January 24th, 2026: Chant & Cello – A trance like musical show with the World-renowned Saskia Rao de Haas and Dr Shruti Nada Poddar
- January 24th, 2026: The fabulous Kalbeliya Dancers and Manganiyaar Folk Musicians will enthrall audiences at the beautiful Sethani Ka Johad at Churu, A spectacular show set at the Candle-lit Stepwells of Shekhawati
- January 24th, 2026: Irish Artist Siobhan Molloy on Flute in the wall painted Chhatries of Ramgarh Shekhawati
- January 24th, 2026: Health Transformation Coach, Vidhi Beri takes you on a journey where tradition meets neuroscience. She will share health rituals to heal your mind and way of Life.
- January 25th, 2026: The untold Saga of Meena Kumari – Dastaan Goi by Fouzia Daastango – in a spectacular storytelling style from the Mughal Era.
- January 25th, 2026: “Devi and Her Avatars” Book Launch of Dr. Alka Pande’s new book, Foreword by Shashi Tharoor
- January 25th, 2026: The Grand Night finale with the spectacular North South percussion ensemble Taal Fry!!!
- January 25th, 2026: A delightful candle lit after dinner baithak with H. H. Maharani of Rajkot, Ranisa Kadambari Jadeja
- January 25th, 2026: Ayurvedic experts of Ramgarh Shekhawati, Vaidya Manju Misra and Vaidya Chandanmal Swami will give us unique traditional knowledge of cures for everyday diseases and chronic ailments
Speaking ahead of the festival, Shruti Nada Poddar says that, “Ramgarh Shekhawati is a living heritage civilization and not simply a venue. She shares that the dream of VHAH Fest has always been to revive this extraordinary region and bring its creativity, wisdom and healing traditions back into the centre of public consciousness.” She adds that, “the tenth anniversary edition is a celebration of women and the feminine who have shaped heritage through the ages, in ways both visible and invisible and that the world will experience Shekhawati as a Habitat of the Future.”
Pre-festival workshops will be held from January 19th, 2026 onward, including:
- Dhurrie Making with Katran by Ramgarh women, led by Saroj, Kanchan and Dadiji,
- Ala Gila traditional wall painting workshop
- A very special sculptural line drawing workshop with Irish artist Diane Henshaw.
These sessions will encourage visitors to learn directly from master artists and local practitioners and to understand the craft traditions that define Shekhawati.
VHAH Fest honours Raas, Rang and Reet, the core pillars of celebration, colour and tradition. The festival invites everyone to witness the remarkable artistic ecology of Ramgarh Shekhawati and to participate in its ongoing revival. As the region opens its restored havelis and cultural spaces to visitors, it stands on the brink of a renewed future shaped by community creativity and heritage.
The Vedaaranya Heritage and Healing Festival promises an unforgettable experience in January 2026 as Shekhawati welcomes the world to rediscover its artistic genius, ancient knowledge and living cultural landscape and an unforgettable self-healing experience.
