Step into the world of 1850s Delhi, where poetry flows by lamplight, secrets linger behind the purdah and two extraordinary mehfils unfold across a courtyard.
Your evening begins in one mehfil and ends in another.
In the Diwan-e-Aam, the lamps are lit, and the shama awaits its journey from poet to poet. Witness Ustad Zauq and Mirza Ghalib cross swords in verse, as the audience is invited to choose its champion. Beyond the purdah, the Begums of the Qila gather for a mehfil of their own, where each recitation holds a secret waiting to be discovered.
But you are not merely a spectator. Become a nazir - an active participant in the mehfil. Pick up a misra and complete it, take sides in a poetic rivalry or lend your voice to a ghazal. As the evening unfolds, poetry, intrigue and the flavours of a bygone era bring the world of the Mughal court to life.
In a few years, these lamps will go out. But for one evening, the mehfils live again.
Shama-e-Mehfil is an immersive theatrical experience and a prelude to Safarnama, our play at the Shri Ram Centre on 5 December.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of poetry, performance, dinner and intrigue in the fading splendour of Delhi`s 1850s.
Event venue
Kathika Culture Centre: Delhi, 1237, Gali Khatikan, Imli Mohalla, Mohalla IMLI, Kucha Pati Ram, Sitaram Bazar, Delhi, NCR 110006, India, New Delhi
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.