A national initiative for the preservation, promotion and celebration of India’s living literary and cultural traditions.
Background & Rationale
For more than seven centuries, Nalanda Mahavihara flourished as one of the world’s greatest centres of learning. Its success rested not only on formal scholarship but on the continuous interaction of philosophers, poets, storytellers, monks, artists, musicians, translators, artisans and local communities.
India holds one of the world’s richest repositories of literary and cultural diversity, expressed through hundreds of languages, oral traditions, folk narratives, performing arts and indigenous knowledge systems. Yet rapid urbanisation, diminishing intergenerational transmission and limited institutional support have placed many of these traditions at risk.
Local writers, folk artists, storytellers, translators and community historians still receive inadequate recognition, limited documentation and few opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Nalanda Parampara answers that gap.
“Nalanda in the World and World in Nalanda”
To establish Nalanda Parampara as India’s foremost community-driven movement for the preservation, promotion and global celebration of regional literature, indigenous knowledge systems, folk traditions and living cultural heritage, strengthening community participation while advancing Nalanda’s timeless legacy of knowledge, creativity and cultural dialogue.
To create a sustainable national platform that empowers local writers, artists, storytellers, translators, researchers and cultural practitioners through documentation, recognition, publication, community engagement, digital preservation, institutional partnerships and public participation, safeguarding India’s literary and cultural diversity for future generations.
Core Objectives
Eleven commitments that shape every activity in the programme, from a district poetry reading to a national digital repository.
Celebrate and promote India’s rich diversity of regional literature, languages and cultural traditions.
Encourage emerging and established local writers, poets, storytellers and cultural practitioners.
Document endangered oral histories, folk narratives, indigenous knowledge systems and community memories.
Preserve traditional performing arts, visual arts and craft traditions through systematic documentation and digital archiving.
Promote translation of regional literature into Indian and international languages.
Encourage intergenerational transmission of traditional knowledge through community participation and educational outreach.
Support women, tribal communities, indigenous knowledge holders and other underrepresented cultural practitioners.
Strengthen district-level literary and cultural ecosystems through collaborative community engagement.
Build a permanent digital repository of India’s living literary and cultural heritage.
Enhance India’s cultural diplomacy by showcasing regional traditions on national and international platforms.
Reconnect communities with their literary and cultural roots so traditions inspire future generations.
Programme Philosophy
Four interrelated pillars that place communities at the centre of cultural preservation and knowledge creation.
Recognising literature, oral traditions, performing arts, languages and indigenous knowledge as living expressions of India’s cultural identity that continue to evolve across generations.
Systematically documenting literary traditions, community histories, artistic practices, local languages and cultural memories to ensure their continuity for future generations.
Creating meaningful dialogue among writers, artists, scholars, educational institutions, museums, libraries and communities while fostering mutual learning and cultural exchange.
Encouraging young people to participate in preserving and reimagining India’s literary and cultural heritage through education, creativity, digital innovation and community leadership.
Programme Architecture
A year-round cultural engagement programme delivered through interconnected initiatives that combine community participation, scholarly engagement, documentation, public outreach and digital innovation.
Monthly literary gatherings at district and regional levels for local authors, poets, storytellers, journalists, historians, translators, libraries and young writers.
Community-based festivals celebrating the diversity of India’s performing arts and traditional cultural expressions.
Community-led initiatives documenting and preserving local memory. All material enters the permanent Nalanda Knowledge Archives.
Promotion and documentation of India’s traditional artistic heritage through exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops and artisan interactions.
Celebrating linguistic diversity through literary festivals, language workshops, poetry recitals, translation forums and cultural performances.
A monthly lecture programme bringing together historians, linguists, cultural scholars, artists, monastic scholars, archivists and folk researchers.
A structured programme encouraging young cultural leaders to undertake projects across research and preservation.
Introducing children and young learners to India’s literary and cultural heritage. Complements the Bhasha Rath programme.
Leveraging digital technologies to expand access to India’s living heritage.
Guiding Principle
Nalanda Parampara believes that the preservation of cultural heritage is most meaningful when communities themselves become its custodians. By combining community participation, scholarly engagement, digital innovation and institutional collaboration, the programme seeks not only to document India’s literary and cultural traditions but to ensure they remain vibrant, relevant and accessible for generations to come.
Conversations travelling to eight cities in India and two destinations abroad.
ExploreNalanda DialoguesSkill-building through recognised courses in publishing, archiving and translation.
ExploreNalanda DakshaFellowships supporting young writers in research, editing and publication.
ExploreNalanda SathiLanguage and storytelling activities in schools and colleges.
ExploreBhasha RathThe four-day main festival on Language, Literature and Legacy.
ExploreNalanda Mahaparva