Returning to Love Festival 2026

11th Edition

…where art becomes action, and love becomes a movement

In line with RTL’s mission to inspire people to operate from a space of love, the Returning to Love Festival is a natural extension – a day where people experience love in action.
It is a vibrant celebration of love and 1Ness through: art, performance, conversation, reflection, and collective joy.
The festival brings together artists, youth, dreamers, thinkers, change-makers, and everyday seekers who believe in the power of love, and in the arts as a vehicle for transformation.
Through workshops, music, theatre, dance, photography, poetry, dialogue, and moments of pause, Returning to Love Festival 2026 invites everyone to:
Awaken. Collaborate. Celebrate.

- To awaken the artist and seeker within
- To collaborate across communities and causes
- To celebrate the simple truth that love is the answer to everything
It is a space filled with the energy of people who believe that 1Ness is our guiding force, that we are all part of a shared solution, and that when we create together — we return to love.

For those who believe in arts for good.
For those who love to learn through masti, joy, and curiosity.
For the seekers, the feelers, the dreamers.
For anyone who truly, madly, deeply believes in love and 1Ness – as core values, guiding light, and everyday compass.
It is for people who want to grow, connect, express, belong, and be around others who share the same vibe and vision.
If you’ve ever felt, even for a moment, that life is bigger, softer, kinder, and more interconnected than it appears – this festival is for you.

Because you’ve been waiting for the annual RTL — and it’s finally here!
Because the best Sunday is one filled with sunshine conversations, warm winter energy, and the joyful feeling of being surrounded by kind, creative, loving souls.
Because you want to meet people of your vibe and tribe.
Because you want to experience the RTL community in person.
Because you’re curious – “Ye hai kya?”
Because you want workshops that open your heart, performances that touch your soul, and a panel discussion on Decoding 1Ness Intelligence: 1i (yes, like AI – but infinitely cooler).
Because you can come alone or with family, with peers or partners – and no matter who you arrive with, you go back with many more.

The Sunday before 15 January is RTL’s annual tradition.
This year, the festival is on 11 January 2026 (Sunday) from 10:30 AM to 04:00 PM.
It will be held at the National Crafts Museum, Pragati Maidan (yes – the same complex as the amazing Café Lota!). With its earthy warmth, architectural grace, and deep sense of community, the Museum’s Village Complex offers the perfect atmosphere for RTL 2026.

Programme

Morning Workshops

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Running in parallel)

Jaago aur Jagao – Arun Goyal

An immersive Kabir singing workshop that awakens hearts to awareness, love, and 1Ness with Arun Goyal ji, voice of Kabir vani.

The workshop invites participants to journey through Kabir’s verses as living teachings. His soulful, conversational style transforms devotion into dialogue, reminding us that awareness is the truest form of activism. When we live in consciousness, compassion, and equality, the walls that divide begin to dissolve – and the very essence of love and 1Ness becomes a quiet, powerful answer to the world’s deepest challenges.

Art of Seeing – Dinesh Khanna

A reflective photography session exploring presence, connection, and 1Ness through the lens – guided by master photographer Dinesh Khanna.

Led by acclaimed photographer Dinesh Khanna – a veteran of over 35 years in photography, co-founder of the Delhi Photo Festival and a storyteller of India’s visual heritage. In this session, participants will explore how photography becomes a bridge to 1Ness – capturing the unseen connections between people, places and life’s quiet moments. Through his lens, Dinesh Khanna invites you to shift from looking to seeing – to awaken the art of attention, empathy and presence in every frame.

Art of Listening – Taran Mehndi

This workshop resonates deeply with the spirit of attentive presence that lies at the heart of both art and inner awareness. Here, listening is explored not as mere hearing, but as an active opening of the heart and mind. In the Japji Sahib, Guru Nanak repeatedly urges us to “Sunio” – to listen deeply and with intention – reminding us that through true listening, we move closer to truth, soften inner barriers, and awaken to joy and insight.

In this way, seeing and listening converge. When we truly see, we are also listening – to the quiet dialogue between self and world, breath and rhythm, light and shadow. As symbolised by the Buddha’s larger ears, awakened listening expands our capacity for empathy, presence, and compassion. In Taran’s workshop, participants are invited not just to hear, but to attune – to one another, to life as it unfolds, and to the deeper rhythms within.

DancerVations – Louise Rose

This immersive workshop invites participants to experience peace not as a concept, but as a living, breathing rhythm within. Through the ancient art of whirling, you gently guide people from movement into stillness, from the self into presence, from form into flow. It is a journey of surrender, balance, connection – a space where we dance not to perform, but to remember who we are.

1Ness in Nature – Utsow Pradhan & Rakesh Khatri

An experiential session, exploring how living in harmony with nature – connects us to every strand of the planet’s wellbeing.

Led by Rakesh Khatri, the Nestman of India (he has bult 7.5 lakh bird nests) & Utsow Pradhan, founder of TIEEDI (Take It Easy, Easy Does It), this immersive hands-on session invites participants to experience sustainability not as a checklist, but as a way of being. Through stories from Khatri ji’s work with children, and TIEEDI’s forest campus in Darjeeling, the workshop explores how every action – from what we consume to how we celebrate – weaves into the larger fabric of life. It’s a call to see that nature is in all goals, that we are not separate from nature, but nature itself in motion – living, breathing, and creating balance together. And yes, we will also be building bird nests in this workshop.

Magic as an Experience of 1Ness – Ishamuddin

Discover magic as a doorway to the oneness of mind, body, and soul. In this experiential session, magic becomes more than illusion—it becomes a practice of presence, wonder, and deep connection. As perception shifts and the impossible feels momentarily possible, participants are invited to encounter the quiet magic that arises when attention, awareness, and joy come together… and yes, you’ll learn some real magic, from the best.

1Ness with the Past – Talish Ray

A guided journey through the Crafts museum’s vibrant spaces – where every craft, texture, and story reveals the interconnectedness of people, culture, and nature. An invitation to see oneness woven into the fabric of India’s living traditions. This experience invites participants to sense how the past is not separate from the present, but woven seamlessly into it – offering a gentle reminder that oneness lives in memory, material, and the hands that continue to create.

Kindness through Caricature - led by Loveleen & Nitin Chawla

In this playful, heart-led workshop, celebrated illustrators Loveleen & Nitin Chawla—with 25 years of experience—invite participants to explore caricature as a tool for empathy, observation, and kindness. Through simple drawing exercises and storytelling, participants will learn how exaggeration can soften judgement, spark laughter, and deepen human connection. No prior art experience needed—just curiosity, openness, and a willingness to see the world (and each other) with compassion.

Launch of the Visual Arts Exhibition

12:00 PM

Love Made Visible: The Art of 1Ness and Sustainable Futures

An immersive gallery experience that explores how love and 1Ness can anchor pathways to sustainable and compassionate global development.

Bringing together over 100 artworks by children, young people, and senior artists, the exhibition reflects diverse interpretations of unity, compassion, sustainability, and our shared humanity. The exhibition will be launched by actress and acclaimed writer Deepti Naval, celebrated portrait artist Sanjay Soni – marking a moment that honours and celebrates every young participant whose imagination, courage, and vulnerability have shaped this collective expression of hope.

Panel Discussion

12:30 - 2:30 PM

Decoding 1i: 1Ness Intelligence

In an age ruled by Artificial Intelligence, this conversation explores a deeper, timeless wisdom: 1Ness Intelligence (1i). Through stories, lived experiences, and inter-faith, cross-disciplinary perspectives, the panel reflects on how 1Ness Intelligence is the answer – where holistic development becomes a natural by-product of love and living in 1-Ness.

The session proposes a bold idea: Love and 1Ness as Goal Zero of the UN SDGs – the foundational “how” through which all other goals can be meaningfully realised.

A diverse panel of artists, activists, thinkers, and doers.

Deepti Naval - Acclaimed writer, poet, actress

We all know Deepti Naval for her incomparable presence on screen – an actress whose natural warmth, simplicity, and emotional depth made her one of Indian cinema’s most beloved figures. She rose to prominence with unforgettable roles in classics like Chashme Buddoor and Katha, and her rich filmography spans critically acclaimed films such as Kamla, Leela, Bawandar, Listen Amaya, NH10, and Goldfish, among many others, earning her multiple Best Actor awards at national and international festivals for her sensitive, nuanced performances.

But Deepti’s artistry extends far beyond acting. She is a poet, painter, photographer, director, and writer – a true multi-disciplinary creator. Her memoir A Country Called Childhood offers readers a visually rich, deeply honest journey through her early life in Amritsar and the inner landscapes that shaped her creative voice. Her poetry collections, including Lamha Lamha and Black Wind and Other Poems, reveal a rare lyrical intimacy and emotional courage that stay with the reader long after the final page.

Deepti’s life and work embody the essence of 1Ness Intelligence – the intelligence that arises when mind, body, emotion, and spirit move in alignment. As actors, poets, and artists know so deeply, true expression cannot emerge from fragmentation. One cannot inhabit a character, speak a line, or write a verse truthfully without presence, openness, and inner coherence. Performance, in its purest form, is an act of deep listening and surrender.

Through her journey across cinema, theatre, poetry, and writing, Deepti reminds us that art is not something we do – it is something we become. Her presence in this conversation will bring depth, sensitivity, and a lived understanding of 1Ness that cannot be taught – only felt.

Harinder Singh - Educator, Author, 1Ness Lover

Harinder Singh is an educator, author, and activist deeply rooted in the 1Force–1Ness paradigm that radiates through all. As Co-Founder of the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) and the Panjab Digital Library, he champions critical thinking, love-based leadership, and inner alignment within Sikh and broader educational institutions.

A sought-after speaker, Harinder has addressed parliamentary bodies, global summits, and academic institutions worldwide. He advises organizations on curricula, exhibitions, and films, and frequently features in documentaries, podcasts, and media exploring Sikh, Panjab, and South Asian themes. He resides in the United States with his family.

Harinder’s work embodies 1Ness Intelligence – a way of being rooted in constant remembrance (Naam), in awareness of a higher force where there is no otherness. Living from this clarity and wisdom, his leadership emerges from alignment rather than authority, from love rather than separation.

His recent book, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib: Life, Vision & Wisdom, is a landmark work that weaves together literary brilliance, historical insight, visual storytelling, and spiritual depth. More than a book, it is a contemplative journey into the 1Force (੧) – an invitation to see the One in all.

Gurudev Sri Anish - Spiritual Teacher, Conscious Leadership Visionary

Sri Anish’s journey – from corporate leader and entrepreneur to seeker, and eventually to a guide rooted in deep Himalayan sadhana – stands as a reminder of how inner intelligence transforms outer life. A decade-long inner manthan led him away from conventional success into sustained inquiry, silence, and practice – eventually flowering into public satsangs, retreats, writing, and community-building.

Through his teachings, satsangs, leadership work, and the Saadho Sangha community, Sri Anish offers a path where ancient dharmic wisdom meets modern life with clarity, grace, and accessibility. At the heart of his work lies a clear Vision for a New Humanity. Sri Anish speaks of this moment as a turning point in human consciousness – one that calls for a collective shift from fragmentation to wholeness, 1Ness. He reminds us that a sustainable, nurturing, and harmonious life on Earth is only possible when humanity is rooted once again in Dharma – the law of nature and the principle of well-being for all.

This vision finds structured expression through Bodhshala – Sri Anish’s initiative to learn from Indic wisdom and co-create conscious leaders. He describes leadership awakening as both a science and an art – a yagya of inner alignment – drawing from ancient, time-tested models of conscious leadership. In his view, institutions today must invest not only in skills and systems, but in awakening consciousness – beginning at the leadership level.

Central to this process is what Sri Anish calls nurturing the “Roots of the Self” – consciousness itself. When this source is activated, intuition flows naturally, confusion transforms into clarity, obstacles reveal opportunity, and action becomes Dharma rather than effort.

Sri Anish’s presence in this conversation is an offering of lived wisdom – a quiet yet powerful embodiment of 1Ness Intelligence, where consciousness, love, and service emerge as the highest form of intelligence.

Utsow Pradhan - Forest Gardener, Waste Alchemist, Permaculture Evangelist, Natural Builder, Trail Runner; and Founder, TIEEDI, Darjeeling

Utsow Pradhan’s journey is a living testament to the truth that we are nature – not separate from it. After a successful corporate career, he listened deeply to the land calling him back to his roots in Darjeeling and devoted himself to environmental regeneration and community transformation. In 2016, he founded TIEEDI Forest Garden – a permaculture-based initiative that has transformed a once-neglected dumping ground into a thriving sanctuary of biodiversity, natural dwellings, and regenerative practice.

Utsow’s work embodies the essence of 1Ness Intelligence – the intelligence that arises when love replaces separation, presence replaces reaction, and care becomes the foundation of action. His Everyday Environmentalism series on Instagram bridges personal discovery with practical learning, sharing his lived experience of deepening connection with land, ecosystem, and community as he walks his path.

Rooted in love for the Earth and all its beings, Utsow’s work reminds us that it is easy to become cynical in the face of environmental breakdown, but continuing with love takes courage. Even more remarkable is his ability to build a community of 1Ness-lovers – people who have nurtured values of service, care, and collective responsibility to become stewards of place and purpose.

Under his leadership, TIEEDI’s holistic approach has influenced thousands – from schools and villages to volunteers and travelers – through zero-waste solutions, experiential environmental education, and responsible tourism. The organisation’s impact has been recognised globally, including Silver at the Global Responsible Tourism Awards in London (2025) and a National Geographic documentary that brought its work to international audiences.

With over eight years dedicated to environmental rejuvenation, Utsow has helped cultivate decentralized waste management systems, supported the creation of zero-waste villages, and fostered collaborations that harmonize human activity with the natural world. His life’s work stands as a luminous example of how love, presence, and collective care can transform outer reality from the inside out – precisely the intelligence that 1Ness calls us to embody.

Amy Singh - Poet, Bridge-Builder, VOYCE of Love

Amy Singh is a free soul and gifted poet whose words move gently – and yet travel far. Her poem-letter Daak: To Lahore with Love sparked a cross-border letter-writing movement, reminding us of a form of love that is non-transactional – love written not to be answered, but simply because the heart must speak. When the letter went viral and Amy was later invited to read at the Faiz Literature Festival in Lahore, it felt less like coincidence and more like love completing its own quiet circle.

Amy writes from the crossroads of the personal and the political, exploring love, loss, longing, memory, and resistance with tenderness and courage. Her debut poetry collection, Singing Over Bones (April 2025), carries this same intimacy – poems that do not shout, but stay. Her work teaches us that loving for the sake of loving opens something within us – giving us courage, voice, imagination, and the ability to become bridge-builders.

She curates Enter Poem – a podcast and newsletter devoted to deep reading and reflective listening – and has hosted Agla Warqa, a Partition-focused podcast. From 2017 to 2023, she founded Cross Connection Poetree, reclaiming public spaces through street poetry and performance. Her words have appeared in Vogue, BBC, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and Nishan Magazine, and have resonated at festivals across South Asia – from Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore, and Dehradun to Mumbai and Lahore.

Based in Chandigarh, Amy moves fluidly between forms – spoken word, page poetry, letters, pauses, and silences. Her presence feels like a pause itself. She does not write to impress – she writes to remember. As she says, “Some things are too tender to say out loud – so I write them instead.”

In her gentleness lives immense strength. Amy Singh is a VOYCE of Love – the kind that transforms without force, and connects without demand.

Eric Chopra - Historian, Storyteller, Curator of Memory, Founder of Itihāsology

Eric Chopra is a historian, writer, and storyteller whose work explores how histories linger – how fragments, fables, and hauntings endure to shape what we remember and who we become. As the founder of Itihāsology, an inclusive educational platform rooted in the Sanskrit idea of itihāsa – “thus, indeed, it was” – Eric brings India’s layered, often overlooked pasts into contemporary conversation, reminding us that the past is never separate from the present.

His research and storytelling span the histories of art, gender, sexuality, and ghosts – spaces where memory resists erasure and meaning survives in echoes. Through writing, podcasts, heritage walks, museum tours, and digital curation, Eric invites audiences to engage with history not as static fact, but as a living, breathing intelligence. His recently released book Ghosted: Delhi’s Haunted Monuments explores the layered, spectral histories of the capital – revealing how narratives that endure, return, and linger in memory continue to shape our collective sense of belonging, identity, and lived experience.

Eric’s work offers a powerful lens on 1Ness Intelligence – revealing how inner awareness, cultural memory, and shared stories intertwine. By attending to what haunts us, what we preserve, and what we forget, he opens a space to understand identity, belonging, and connection beyond linear time – where history, self, and society are in constant dialogue.

Anika Singh (Moderator) - Social Artist, Founder of Returning to Love Foundation and VOYCE

Anika Singh is the Founder of the Returning to Love Foundation – a social artist, storyteller, facilitator, and convener working at the intersection of art, public health, and social transformation. Her work invites people into lived experiences of love-led living, where inner alignment becomes the ground for meaningful change.

With over two decades of experience in public health communication, Anika has collaborated with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and institutions across South-East Asia, the Western Pacific, and Australia. Her leadership weaves behavioural science, strategic communication, and creative facilitation – using art as a language people intuitively understand.

She is the founder of VOYCE – Vision and Opportunities for Youth and Community Empowerment – a platform where art becomes a verb. Through VOYCE, Anika has led over 250 advocacy productions and 50+ publications, collaborating with artists across disciplines to advance emotional well-being, public health, and social change.

In response to the emotional aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Anika founded Returning to Love (RTL) – a movement and community rooted in healing, presence, and 1Ness. Through gatherings, RTL Talks, retreats, and learning spaces, RTL celebrates VOYCEs of Love – individuals living in alignment with their gifts, purpose, and service.

As a moderator, Anika holds conversations with depth, warmth, and clarity – creating spaces where listening becomes remembering, dialogue becomes reflection, and love is recognised as a form of intelligence. Her facilitation is grounded in 1Ness – where thought, intention, and action flow from the same source.