Shillong, October 04: Shillong is set to host the national climate festival “Festivals of Life” for the first time, with a five-day programme at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) from October 5 to 9.
Organised by Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, in collaboration with NEHU, the festival will use art, science and interactive activities to explore India’s rivers, forests, mountains, coasts and oceans and their links with climate change and livelihoods.
The festival at NEHU, Umshing Mawkynroh, will feature exhibitions, nature walks, films, expert talks and cultural performances. It will be open from 9 am to 2 pm each day.
The programme is aimed at students of Classes 6 to 12, college students and organisations. Entry is free, though participating institutions are required to register.
The Shillong edition brings together exhibits from four earlier editions of the festival series — Rivers of Life (2022), Forests of Life (2023), Mountains of Life (2024) and Coasts and Oceans of Life (2025).
More than 300 panels of photographs, maps and stories will be on display, featuring the work of young interns from across India who have documented ecosystems and communities through photo essays and public art.
The festival series has so far reached nearly one lakh students, educators and citizens across the country.
“Through art, dialogue and student research, we hope visitors will experience how deeply the rivers, forests, mountains, coasts and oceans shape every aspect of our lives,” said Dr Harini Nagendra, Director of the School of Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University.
She said the festival also seeks to underline why protecting these ecosystems is important not only for the environment but for human survival.
Alongside the exhibition, visitors will be able to take part in guided nature walks, environmental film screenings, expert sessions and cultural programmes, with NEHU students volunteering for the event.
A two-day Teacher Orientation and Training Programme will also be held on October 8 and 9. The programme will focus on nature, environmental science, climate science and approaches to science education.
Prof. P.K. Ryngnga, Head of the Department of Geography at NEHU, said he was looking forward to welcoming schools and colleges from Shillong and surrounding areas.
“When our youth join hands, they become the driving force behind the urgent learning and action our nature and climate need today,” he said.
The travelling festival will move to other locations in the Northeast and elsewhere in the country over the coming months, taking its message on nature, climate and sustainability to students, educators and communities
