Krishnakriti Foundation · Hyderabad · Every January
Established 2004 · A 20-year journeyHyderabad’s oldest and most distinctive annual festival of art, culture, and heritage — held every January since 2004.
“The festival is dedicated to bring art to the public.”
— Prshant Lahoti, Founder
The Krishnakriti Art and Culture Festival is one of Hyderabad’s oldest and most distinctive annual cultural events — founded in 2004 by Prshant Lahoti in memory of his late father, Shri Krishnachandra B. Lahoti. Held every January at the beginning of the new year, it brings together artists, scholars, performers, curators, and the public for four to five days of art, conversation, and celebration.
Over its 20-year journey, the festival has established a name for itself in India’s art world — providing a platform for emerging artists, young curators, and heritage specialists to collaborate on a specifically curated programme that places Hyderabad’s culture, history, and traditions at its heart. Each edition is organised around a distinct curatorial theme, with 20 to 30 events spread across the festival days.
The Krishnakriti Foundation, the non-profit that runs the festival, is also engaged year-round in public art projects, artist residencies, heritage walks, and community-based cultural programmes across Hyderabad.
The Krishnakriti Festival was founded in 2004 by Prshant Lahoti to honour the memory of his late father, Shri Krishnachandra B. Lahoti — a man whose values of community, generosity, and love for Hyderabad live on in every edition of the festival. Each year, the gathering of artists, scholars, and visitors in January is both a celebration of culture and a living tribute to his memory.
Curated exhibitions of works by India’s most established and emerging artists, alongside showcases from the Kalakriti Archives — historic maps, vintage photographs, and rare prints brought into conversation with contemporary practice.
Outstanding performances by renowned artists and musical ensembles — from Hindustani classical music to theatre, poetry readings, and cross-cultural collaborations that reflect Hyderabad’s pluralistic heritage.
Panel discussions, lecture series, book readings, and conversations with leading artists, historians, and scholars — including celebrated figures such as William Dalrymple, Alka Pande, Nancy Adajania, and Ranjit Hoskote.
Guided heritage walks through Hyderabad’s historical neighbourhoods, monuments, and cultural landmarks — connecting festival audiences to the living city and its centuries-old traditions.
Hands-on workshops, art camps, and residency projects for artists and students — providing direct access to practitioners, curators, and institutions, and supporting the next generation of Indian cultural practitioners.
Film screenings that expand the festival’s cultural horizon, alongside open photo competitions that invite Hyderabad’s residents to participate as creators, not just audiences.
A milestone edition marking two decades of the festival — one of Hyderabad’s oldest and most enduring annual platforms for art, culture, and heritage. A celebration of the festival’s journey and its ongoing commitment to Telangana’s cultural life.
Curated by Abeer Gupta, Director of Krishnakriti Foundation. The festival explored the concept of the city as archive — examining how visual practices document, transform, and reimagine urban space. A festival catalogue was published in accompaniment.
Kalakriti Archives exhibited its collection of historic maps at the festival, drawing connections between spatial knowledge and cultural identity. The exhibition travelled from the festival to IIM Bangalore and other venues across India.
In association with the Embassy of France in India, Krishnakriti hosted Bonjour India — a major programme celebrating French art and culture in Hyderabad. A continuation of the partnership begun in 2010, reflecting the deep cultural ties between Kalakriti India and France.
The festival opened with historian William Dalrymple narrating the story of the First War of Independence and the Mughal Empire, accompanied by Hindustani classical musician Vidya Shah. An evening that exemplified the festival’s signature blend of scholarship, performance, and public engagement.
The second edition of the Franco-Indian cultural programme, bringing French artists, performers, and cultural practitioners to Hyderabad in collaboration with the Embassy of France. A landmark in the ongoing friendship between Kalakriti and France.
The inaugural Bonjour India programme at the Krishnakriti Festival — establishing Hyderabad’s connection to France’s cultural institutions and laying the groundwork for what would become a recurring and beloved feature of the festival.
The first Krishnakriti Art and Culture Festival, founded by Prshant Lahoti in memory of his late father Shri Krishnachandra B. Lahoti. A modest but purposeful beginning that would grow into one of Hyderabad’s most significant annual cultural events over the following two decades.
The Krishnakriti Foundation’s commitment to artists does not end with the annual festival. Year-round, the Foundation runs a range of programmes that support emerging talent, preserve endangered art forms, and connect Hyderabad’s cultural community to national and international networks.
In association with the Embassy of France in India, the Foundation provides fellowships to deserving candidates to study fine arts and architecture at leading educational institutions in France — one of the only privately funded arts scholarships of its kind in South India, running for over 15 years.
Financial assistance, material support, and networking opportunities for students of fine arts selected on merit — helping young artists achieve higher objectives in their practice and careers.
Residency projects that bring artists into sustained engagement with Hyderabad’s cultural heritage, histories, and communities — producing work that deepens the city’s artistic conversation.
Public and community-based activities including heritage walks, special curated heritage events, and workshops that connect Hyderabad’s residents to their own city’s living history.
“Every year in January, the cultural extravaganza agglomerates eminent artists in art and culture and literary stalwarts to showcase their finest achievements to the denizens and guests of Hyderabad.”
— Krishnakriti Foundation
Artists, curators, cultural organisations, and institutions are warmly invited to collaborate with the Krishnakriti Festival. The Foundation also invites archival resources to be shared for non-commercial cultural purposes, in keeping with appropriate copyright and licensing arrangements.
To discuss collaboration, residency, exhibition, or sponsorship opportunities, write to the Kalakriti Archives and Krishnakriti Foundation team.