Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation to Celebrate 35th Anniversary with World Culture Festival in New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the three-day celebrations and President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest for the closing ceremony.

[Photo Source: Facebook/ World Culture Festival]

The Art of Living Foundation (AOL)—a non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and established in over 150 countries—is celebrating its 35th anniversary by inviting everyone across the globe to join the event, World Culture Festival (WCF), on March 11 to 13 in New Delhi, India.

Honoring the message of Sri Sri, fondly referred to as Gurudev, the event calls for Vasudeva Kutumbakam (One World Family) and a whopping 3.5 million from across the globe are expected to attend. The grand event will take place on a 7-acre stage (equal to six football fields!) set in a venue of 1000 acres.

The festival will witness the collaboration of cultures from across the globe and will promote the message of peace and togetherness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the three-day celebrations and President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest for the closing ceremony. Sri Sri will also lead mass peace meditations on all three days.

Several other speakers—including former Pakistani Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani; Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal; Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena; and ministers from Modi’s government, such as Smriti Irani—will be present. Joining them will also be entrepreneurs Anant Goenka, head of Indian Express; George Kurian, CEO of NetApp; Amit Aggarwal, head of Amazon India, and many more. Bollywood celebrities such as Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza are also scheduled to speak. In fact, the stars have already recorded a personal message for the masses, inviting them to join the celebrations.

An invitation to the festival of #OneWorldFamily – The #WorldCultureFestival by @VinodKhanna!
Join him in New Delhi! pic.twitter.com/y2Oout2GbK

— World Culture Fest (@WCF2016) February 21, 2016

An invitation to the world’s largest congregation of #Love by @deespeak! Join in for the #WorldCultureFestival pic.twitter.com/OfAZ6LchwP — World Culture Fest (@WCF2016) February 19, 2016

WCF also released their theme song, “Sanghachhadwam,” recorded in 56 cities by AOL volunteers performing synchronized choreography. From the Great Wall of China to the Eiffel Tower to Times Square, never has the world seemed so close!

Another theme song brings together the musical genius of prolific Bollywood singers such as Asha Bhosle, Shaan, Babul Supriyo, Alka Yagnik, Abhijeet Bhattacharya and many more. The song plays while the video gives us glimpses into the 25th-anniversary celebrations that took place at AOL’s International Center in Bangalore and 30th-anniversary celebrations that took place in Berlin.

35 renowned artists from the Indian Film Industry will pay a Live tribute to the #35YrsofArtofliving! #WCFFactc pic.twitter.com/qZtstdnpIZ — World Culture Fest (@WCF2016) March 1, 2016

This event is clearly a unique and phenomenal achievement as it brings together politicians, entrepreneurs, and celebrities to hold talks on peace and harmony. At the same time, it will also bring together millions who will not only meditate for peace but also witness performances like dance and other native, cultural art forms from different participating countries such as India, Italy, Mongolia, Spain, Russia and several more.

AMERICA rehearsing their hip hop number for the #WorldCultureFestival #35yearsofartofliving pic.twitter.com/xuQMiyToQw — Srividya V (@srivinow) February 24, 2016

Uttarakhand will also perform a dance of joy at the #WorldCultureFestival for #35YrsofArtofliving pic.twitter.com/jdhKXgbJOb — Srividya V (@srivinow) February 24, 2016

#Nepal will present five of their folk dances at the #WorldCultureFestival for #35YrsofArtofliving pic.twitter.com/c4YIJKoBK0

— Srividya V (@srivinow) February 24, 2016

Choir practices across #China to perform at #WorldCultureFestival to mark #35YrsofArtofliving ‘ pic.twitter.com/7mkrP7sjjB

— Srividya V (@srivinow) February 24, 2016

The GRAND GARBA REHEARSAL! 1500 dancers will join us at the #WorldCultureFestival@WCF2016 @aolgujarat pic.twitter.com/qaRxhfZCgO — Srividya V (@srivinow) February 9, 2016

The Art of Living has always been involved in stress-relief and spreading happiness through basic courses like the Happiness Program and the Art of Silence, as well as programs such as prisoner rehabilitation, women’s empowerment, and relief in the time of natural disasters and war.  Through these courses, they teach breathing techniques, yoga, and meditation—and infuse it all with wisdom and fun.

Therefore, pulling off an event of this magnitude is no small feat and is achievable only through sheer strength and grace. The members of the AOL community recognize this and, therefore, have been tweeting about it, and their experiences, using the hashtag #35YearsofArtofLiving.

After the World Culture Festival the Yamuna cleaning project will continue as all our volunteers are excited to make it cleaner & greener.

— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (@SriSri) February 28, 2016

#35yearsofartofliving @srisri only you could do this with your immense compassion! Peace in Columbia-https://t.co/59QTwG5yti

— Dhwani Kanumury (@Dhwanijgd) February 25, 2016

#35yearsofartofliving has achieved a lot, but the greatest job it has done is to get me – a 16 year old in 2006 – to believe in my own SELF! — Jainil Khandelwal (@jainilk) February 24, 2016

So excited to share the stage with 1000 Bharatnatayam dancers during @WCF2016 #35yearsofartofliving — Pratiksha (@parii_26) February 25, 2016

#35YrsofArtofliving The @WCF2016 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of something so big, that it can truly change the world.. 🙂

— Swami Purnachaitanya (@purnachaitanya) February 25, 2016

#35yearsofartofliving What a blessing to be apart of such an amazing movement! Thank you @SriSri

— hemibee (@hemantbains) February 25, 2016

Over 650 bio toilets have been installed at the @WCF2016 venue to ensure that none of the waste is passed on to #Yamuna. #35YrsofArtofliving

— anamika (@beinganamika) February 29, 2016

Today society has deteriorated not bcause of few bad people, but bcause of the silence of the good ones.#ChaloDelhi for #35YrsofArtofliving

— Swami Brahmachitt (@Brahmachitt) February 28, 2016

However, the event has caused an uproar as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) estimates the cost of restoration at the banks of Yamuna river after the event to be Rs. 100-120 crores and plans to put the amount as a penalty on AOL. Members of the foundation, including Sri Sri, have spoken out about this.

[PhotoSource: Twitter/SriSri]

‘We will not harm the Yamuna’: Gurudev @SriSri Ravi Shankar on NGT row via @htTweets: https://t.co/MFl4RxlN2t pic.twitter.com/lijLNAgMRe

— Art of Living (@ArtofLiving) March 2, 2016

Enzymes made from fresh kitchen waste by 1000s of #ArtofLiving volunteers will help clean polluted water of Yamuna! pic.twitter.com/PcLgzP9LAo

— Art of Living (@ArtofLiving) March 1, 2016

#WorldCultureFestival is a great Yamuna floodplain rejuvenation initiative !https://t.co/IfaMdIS2uP pic.twitter.com/2Ljf9E6yyt

— Mamta kailkhura (@mamkail) March 1, 2016

It looks like the aim of the World Culture Festival is more than just celebrating 35 years of Art of Living. The aim is to create harmony and joy through three-days of multicultural glory, and it looks like a wonderful beginning to achieving the same.