Art, music and legacy converge at Jaigarh Heritage Festival

When the voices of the desert reverberated from the ramparts of the historic Jaigarh Fort, it felt like being transported to the bygone era of royal Rajputana. The two-day Jaigarh Heritage Festival 2025 concluded with a soulful rendition by the Manganiyars of Jaisalmer. The Manganiyar Seduction by Roysten Abel completely mesmerised the audience with their performance.

The fest showcased Rajasthan’s royal art, culture, music, and heritage in all their glory. Hosted to promote the state’s living traditions, it brought musicians, artists, and artisans from across Rajasthan under one roof. There was an array of workshops, talk shows and musical performances. The entire hilltop fort turned into a one-stop destination for cultural celebration.

While one arena witnessed people immersing themselves in soulful musical renditions, another celebrated Rajasthan’s artistic legacy with nagada and block-printing workshops. The event featured several sessions, including miniature painting, Barmer appliqué work and puppet making. Trying her hand at the block-printing technique, dancer Akanksha Maheshwari shared, “I’m so glad to witness this festival and connect to my Rajasthani roots in such a beautiful way. I’m a Marwari who has lived in Delhi, and today I felt so proud to see how rich my culture is. I learnt block printing and also tried some ghoomar moves with the folk artistes.” The event also featured musical presentations by the Anirudh Varma Collective, Kabir Café, and a high-energy finale by Papon.

Talking about the aim of the fest, Padmanabh Singh from the Jaipur royal family, said, “It’s not just a festival but an effort to conserve Jaipur’s living heritage, to promote the vision with which Sawai Jai Singh II laid the foundation of the city 300 years ago. We are trying to preserve Jaipur’s heritage through artistic expression and community engagement, and also create a bridge between these arts and the younger generation so that this legacy can be carried forward. I’m happy to see such enthusiastic participation from youngsters.”