New Delhi: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Banaras Biennale will launch its first edition, celebrating Varanasi’s rich heritage, art, culture, and legacy through 35 days of exhibitions, performances, heritage experiences, and cultural events.
Running from 27 November to 31 December 2026, the Biennale aims to bring the ancient city of Kashi into the global cultural spotlight through art, creativity, and cultural exchange. With the theme “KASHI / LIGHT – City as Sensorium,” the entire city will become a vibrant cultural platform, bringing together different forms of artistic expression across its historic and cultural spaces.
“Kashi is luminous — a city in which light is not simply seen, but understood. It falls across water, stone and image, but also travels through memory, knowledge and the imagination. Across generations, artists have returned to Banaras not simply to represent the city, but to find different ways of seeing it,” said Gayatri Sinha, lead curator of the event.
Over the 35-day celebration, exhibitions, heritage immersions, art and craft demonstrations, performances and other cultural experiences will unfold across iconic spaces, including Bharat Kala Bhavan, archives and heritage sites across the city.
The event is supported by government and institutional partners, including the Ministry of Culture, Incredible India, the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Banaras Hindu University and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), along with private partners and sponsors such as JSW, Adani Group, JK Cement, RP-Sanjay Goenka Group and Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd.
“India’s cultural confidence must keep pace with its economic rise, and that confidence finds its most eloquent voice in Kashi, also known as Banaras, the cradle of Indian civilisation,” said Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of JSW Foundation, on the occasion of the CII Banaras Biennale.
Other partners and cultural voices have also highlighted the importance of initiatives like the Biennale in celebrating India’s cultural heritage and bringing it to a global audience. Varanasi is increasingly being recognised for its cultural influence and its deep connection with India’s social and economic life.
Speaking about the choice of the city as the location for the Biennale, the organisers noted that the city was a natural choice because of its many layers and its living cultural traditions.
“Banaras was a very natural choice. It is a city which is so multidimensional. At every corner, you see living culture being performed, lived and made part of everyday life. That is what makes it so distinctive. It does not focus on just one area; it is multidimensional, multilayered and can be interpreted and visualised creatively in many different forms,” she added.
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What is a Biennale
The CII Banaras Biennale is an industry-led cultural initiative that aims to create a long-term platform for artists, cultural institutions, scholars, industry and the public to come together, exchange ideas, support research and engage with art, while maintaining the independence of artistic and curatorial practice.
The team has also created an Instagram page to reach out to the audience. In multiple posts, they have also explained what a biennale is, the purpose of the event, and how it differs from art festivals.
“A biennale is a large-scale international art and cultural exhibition held once every two years,” reads the Instagram post. “A biennale runs on a single curatorial idea, unfolding across a city. The CII Banaras Biennale brings this format to Kashi for the first time.”
(Edited by Ratan Priya)