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Winter in India used to be the perfect season. Across the country, it ushered in the arrival of the harvest season — the end of one cycle of life and the beginning of another. It was a time for celebrations, of coming together, or community-building and merry-making. In recent years, however, rising polarisation and pollution, both manmade, has dampened some of that charm.
But it’s not all gloom and doom. Across the country, homegrown creators are responding to the precarity of our contemporary reality by grounding their projects in community and care. In this week’s Culture Bulletin, we are leaning into that logic. These events and projects, scattered across cities and disciplines gesture toward a gentler cycle of making: one that foregrounds continuity over spectacle, care over velocity, and collective renewal over individual output. Whether it’s an evening in Gurugram that channels the spirit of Tokyo, or a celebration of Artsforward’s 15 years of community-led encounters and interventions, they are all reminders that culture regenerates the way winter blooms into spring: through slow accumulations, repeated gestures, and the resilience of communities that continue to gather, create, and imagine better worlds together.
From One Night In Toki-O in Gurugram to a wellness and wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra’s Tipeshwar Forest, and a Manchester-based Indian designer whose practice lies at the crossroads of culture, history, identity, and emotion to one of India’s most enduring festivals for living folk and mystic traditions, here’s what we have for you this weekend:
One Night in Toki-O returns for one last time in 2025 on 28 November, transforming One Horizon, Gurugram, into a hub of Japanese creativity. The curated evening celebrates Japan’s artistic spirit through sound, taste, and design with performances from India’s experimental artists. Tech Panda X Kenzani will present their vintage Indian-electronic fusion, GAURIWHO adds raw alt-pop and electronic flair, and Soopy’s high-energy, glitchy production completes the lineup. Avani Adiga shares all the details here.
For 15 years, Artsforward — led by curator, choreographer, and arts manager Paramita Saha — has envisioned art-led, artist-led, community-led, and curiosity-driven experiences that challenge the norm. Artsforward focuses on providing access to the arts and performances by bringing them to unexpected spaces and communities, working with young artists and performers, and fostering critical discussions within the arts community. The organisation aims to build stakeholdership by introducing new audiences to the transformative power of arts and performance. Their curated projects promote environmental responsibility and coexistence, blending poetic expression with everyday practices. Over 15 years, they have developed a network of meaningful connections in the arts. ‘Counter Encounter’ is a celebration of this remarkable journey through four curated events across Kolkata.
Sneha Nayak is a Manchester-based Indian designer whose practice lies at the crossroads of culture, history, identity, and emotion. Her graduate project, ‘Ornamental Grids’ is an audacious attempt to spotlight and reframe our perception of South Asian design motifs that are too often pigeonholed into being 'maximalist' or 'excessive', despite the increasingly milquetoast landscape of mainstream design. Read her interview with Mikhail Khan here.
‘The Source’ traces the origins of cc-tapis rugs by following their material and human journey from Ladakh to Kathmandu. The documentary begins in the stark, high-altitude landscapes where Himalayan wool is sourced, revealing how local economies, political tensions, and fragile pastoral traditions shape the craft. It then moves to the brand’s Kathmandu atelier, where weaving parallels the pulse of everyday city life. Rather than dramatic set-pieces, the film unspools on the quotidian, essential details — of hands that make, wool that catches light, and streets that whisper beyond the frame. ‘The Source’ shows that each rug comes from the land, labour, and the people who sustain both. Learn more here.
For 25 years, TCS Ruhaniyat has been one of India’s most enduring festivals for living folk and mystic traditions, spotlighting artists rooted in their regions’ spiritual and cultural lineages. Supported by Tata Consultancy Services, it has travelled to eight cities, offering a rare large-scale platform to oral and community-led art forms. The 2025 Mumbai edition expands this commitment with a diverse lineup highlighting practices preserved through devotion and transmission. Featured forms include Jammu’s ancient polyphonic Paakh, Bengal’s Bhawaiya Gaan, Sant Kabir compositions by Malwi exponent Prahlad Singh Tipanya, and mystic songs from Gujarat presented by Hemant Chauhan. Learn more here.At DDW 2025, an Indian Studio Proposes a Post-Human Pavilion
‘Factory 5.0’, Studio Aditya Mandlik’s pavilion for Dutch Design Week 2025, imagines architecture shaped in collaboration with worms. Part of the festival’s ‘Grand Projects’ program, the installation uses digitally fabricated timber and blocks of Styrofoam slowly decomposed by 10,000 king worms to explore a post-anthropocentric vision of design. Positioned within the discourse of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, it proposes buildings that grow, decay, and regenerate through interspecies processes rather than human intention alone. Debuting this work in the Netherlands marks a significant milestone for the Indian studio, offering a provocative glimpse into architecture’s metabolic, interdependent futures. Disha writes about the project here.
Tipai, a wellness and wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra’s Tipeshwar Forest, offers an intimate blend of conscious luxury and deep ecological care. Founded by Keyur Joshi with chef Amninder Sandhu, the 34-acre retreat is built on sustainable design, responsible tourism, and wellness. Its bio-pool villas and forest villas — crafted with local materials and artisanal techniques — immerse guests in a serene, nature-forward environment. Hyperlocal dining led by Sandhu highlights regional traditions, while curated activities such as safaris, foraging walks, birding, stargazing, and fishing reconnect visitors with the forest’s rhythms. At Tipai, every experience is rooted in land, community, and sustainability.
Learn more and book your stay here.
If you enjoyed reading this, here’s more from Homegrown:
“What Does It Mean To Survive A Fractured World?” Asks An Upcoming Kochi Exhibition
Dishoom’s Latest Drop Is A Love Letter To Mumbai
On ‘Heart On A Richter Scale’: Binglebog Captures Slow Living & Soft Love
