Guwahati: The Directorate of Museums, Assam, in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, is set to present the highly anticipated third edition of 'ঐতিহ্য - The Museum Festival 2026'. The five-day cultural extravaganza will be hosted at the Assam State Museum in Guwahati from November 25 to November 29, 2026. The landmark event is designed to celebrate Assam's rich living traditions and tangible heritage while making cultural spaces dynamic, engaging, and accessible to the public.
Organized under the aegis of the Department of Indigenous and Tribal Faith and Culture, Government of Assam, the festival will blend scholarly dialogues with interactive experiences. Visitors can expect diverse curated and temporary exhibitions, including "Framing Assam"—a deep dive into the evolutionary journey of Assamese cinema heritage—and "Ruup Barna Bak," which profiles the region's vast literary history. Highlighting the vision of the initiative, officials noted that the festival is uniquely designed to make museums interactive hubs for individuals from all walks of life, successfully blending academic preservation with creative public engagement.
A primary focus of this year's edition is fostering cultural continuity among younger generations. The state cultural department recently highlighted a core attraction of the event: a specialized five-day student workshop on hand embroidery. Titled "Needle and Thread," this interactive segment will run concurrently from November 25 to 29 and is specifically open to school children from Classes V to VIII. Registrations for the craft sessions will remain open until November 15 at the museum help desk.
The comprehensive festival itinerary also features documentary screenings, expert-led panel discussions, curated heritage walks around Guwahati’s historic landmarks, and evening folk performances. Organizers indicate that by integrating digital components alongside the traditional showcases, the festival aims to secure sustainable career scopes within the expanding heritage management sector while firmly rooted in community values.