New Delhi: The first Culture Working Group meet, under India’s G-20 Presidency, will be held in Madhya Pradesh’s temple town Khajuraho from February 22.
Officials of the Ministry of Culture said that India’s G20 Culture Track is predicated on the idea of ‘Culture for LiFE’ – an environmentally conscious lifestyle as a campaign for sustainable living.
The CWG will evolve through four meetings in four historic cities of India and steer the G20 discourse on four priority areas. India’s CWG will reflect the emergence of culture as a prominent theme on the global stage, it will adopt culture to renew multilateral and multicultural cooperation at all levels, and will aim to forward this ideal and inform future global cultural policies and initiatives.
An ancient city, Khajuraho is known for its majestic temples and elaborate sculptures. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Khajuraho’s monuments were constructed by the Chandela Dynasty between 950-1050 AD. The aesthetic of the Nagara-style architecture, ornamented with the intricate and detailed sculptures, acts like a window into the socio-cultural practices of the time. According to historical records, there were 85 temples in the temple site in Khujaraho, covering 20 square km, in the 12th Century AD. However, today, only 25 of these temples – scattered throughout a 6 square km area – have survived.
Officials said that as a part of the meeting, there will be an exhibition titled “Re(ad)dress : Return of Treasures” at the Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre (MCCC), which will be inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Culture and Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy.
The delegates from the G20 countries will get to experience cultural programmes including the Khajuraho Dance Festival. They will also get to visit the Western Group of Temples along with a tiger safari at the Panna Tiger Reserve.
India assumed the G20 presidency on 1 December 2022, articulating the theme of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – One Earth. One Family. One Future’, which aims to foster, celebrate, and incorporate the diversity of cultural traditions amongst the member states while striving towards holistic living and creating a pro-people planet.
