From WhiteSwan Festival To Cheti Chand, Lucknow Celebrates Culture In Full Colour

Lucknow is gearing up for a weekend full of cultural richness, where art, community, and tradition come together in unique but equally lively forms. The city hosts a global art festival emphasizing sustainability and peace, alongside a lively celebration of Sindhi heritage, creating a cultural scene that balances modern influences with deep-rooted traditions.

Art For Change

From March 22 to 25, Lucknow will host the WhiteSwan Art Festival, an international initiative that places art at the centre of dialogue in an increasingly fragmented world. Anjali Nigam, an art patron, founded this festival to create a space where creativity intersects with awareness. It revolves around three main ideas: art, music, and food, each approached with a sense of responsibility.

The festival is put together with help from the Uttar Pradesh State Archives and takes place through a series of events designed to be interactive and community-oriented. Attendees can engage with art exhibitions, watch live painting, enjoy music performances, and join in panel discussions that look at how art connects with sustainability. The schedule encourages participation, bringing together artists, students, and locals in art camps and cultural exchanges.

What stands out about this edition is its inclusive spirit. Workshops will reach out to children from government schools, underserved areas, and special needs groups, inviting them to explore themes of world peace and sustainability through creative expression. A shared art project, featuring a large canvas titled ‘Unity & Peace,’ invites people of all ages and backgrounds to contribute, turning the creative process into a collective experience.

Food And Thought

On the culinary side, the festival doesn’t just stop at the arts. It extends its values to food by offering a thoughtfully chosen range of pure vegetarian dishes that promote sustainability and ethical choices, reinforcing the overall message of mindful living.This focus feels especially relevant in Lucknow, a UNESCO-recognised City of Gastronomy, where food is as much about heritage as it is about innovation.

The idea is not just to serve meals, but to spark conversations around consumption, sustainability, and cultural identity. In doing so, the festival positions food as an integral part of the cultural narrative, rather than a supporting act.

A special outreach programme scheduled for March 23 at Pyssum, an institution supporting children with special needs, will further extend the festival’s community engagement. Here, art becomes a bridge—connecting individuals through shared creativity and reinforcing the festival’s underlying message of empathy and inclusion.

Traditions In Motion

Running parallel to this contemporary celebration is a deeply traditional one. The Sindhi community marked Cheti Chand—the Sindhi New Year and the birth anniversary of Lord Jhulelal—with a grand procession and fair that brought the city’s streets alive with colour and devotion.

The procession started at Shiv Shanti Ashram in Alambagh and made its way through significant parts of the city, including Charbagh, Aminabad, Hazratganj, and Lalbagh, before ending at Jhulelal Vatika. Along the way, tableaux showing scenes from Sindhi heritage and Hindu mythology gathered attention, offering a vivid glimpse into the community’s faith and cultural roots.

A modern twist came with an all-women scooter rally. Dressed in traditional clothing, these participants navigated the city streets carrying flags and singing devotional songs. This not only highlighted unity but also reflected how women’s roles in celebrating and preserving traditions are gradually shifting.

At Jhulelal Vatika, the celebrations carried on with devotional music, communal gatherings, and food stalls featuring traditional Sindhi dishes. The mood was both warm and inclusive—a blend of religious observance and cultural reunion.

Altogether, these events capture Lucknow’s layered character, where discussions on sustainability and peace coexist alongside age-old customs. It serves as a reminder that culture, in its many forms, remains one of the city’s richest sources of storytelling.

FAQs

1. What is the WhiteSwan Art Festival?
It is an international festival focused on promoting world peace and sustainability through art, music, and food.

2. When and where is the festival taking place?
The WhiteSwan Art Festival will be held in Lucknow from March 22 to 25 in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh State Archives.

3. What can visitors expect at the festival?
The event will feature art exhibitions, live painting sessions, music performances, panel discussions, and community workshops.

4. What is Cheti Chand and how is it celebrated?
Cheti Chand marks the Sindhi New Year and the birth anniversary of Lord Jhulelal, celebrated with processions, cultural programmes, and fairs.

5. What makes these events significant for Lucknow?
They highlight the city’s blend of global cultural initiatives and traditional heritage, reinforcing its identity as a vibrant cultural hub.