Since the 12th century, Urdu began to spread its roots into the Indian subcontinent. It’s a language that goes much deeper, and if you’re a speaker, listener or an enjoyer of this beauty, then Jashn-e-Rekhta might be for you. It’s the biggest Urdu Celebration in your very own Delhi.
Jashn-e-Rekhta is a unique festival that hosts and promotes everyone who celebrates this language. It’s organised by The Rekhta Foundation, a non-profit that aims to promote and preserve the Urdu language and culture that revolves around it. Whether you’re a poet, a writer, a musician, a composer, a lyricist, a philosopher or anything else, this festival is for you to enjoy and embrace.
Jashn-e-Rekhta 2025: Urdu Festival Delhi
This year, Jashn-e-Rekhta was hosted in December (usually held in the months of late November or early December). So, the weather is pleasant. It’s held in New Delhi (previous editions were held in JLN Stadium, Major Dhyanchand Stadium, etc.). 2025 Edition (10th anniversary) was in Baansera Park.
How to Reach:
Your best bet to reach Jashn-e-Rekhta: Urdu Festival Delhi is the Metro train. The closest metro station is Sarai Kale Khan Metro Station, which is roughly 200-300 metres away from Baansera Park, so you can walk there. There’s also a shuttle service and a parking space at Nizamuddin Metro Station. So, the venue is well-connected.
How to Enter Jashn-e-Rekhta:
The event usually spans across 3 days of pure celebration. You can book tickets for individual days, as well as for the entire 3-day festival.
Tickets start at 650 INR, which gives you access to all the events. There are premium seats for the Mehfil-Khaana as well but checkout THE EVERYWHERE TRAVELLER PRO TIP for a steal!
Entries at the festival begin at 10 AM. Keep your QR codes handy with you. Go to the ticket counter, and you’ll get a band in exchange. Wear the band, it will be your entry to the place.
The 4 Stages:
The event has quite a few attractions, but most of the show goes on the 4 stages:
1) Dayaar-e-Izhaar:
This is the first stage that you walk into. It’s where most of the poetry, prose and recitation takes place. ‘Izhaar’ refers to confession, and during my time here, I got to witness Shekhar Suman as Mirza Ghalib in a play called ‘Hue Marr Ke Hum Jo Rusva’ (which was wonderful by the way). Mushairas and Qawallis also took place here.
2) Bazm-e-Sukhan:
Usually holds literary discussions with famous guests and authors invited to the festival. There was also a book launch event that took place here.
3) Sukhan-Zaar:
Sukhan-Zaar is a separate section that also offers similar experiences. There are plays, poetry, and book recitations. I got to watch a very beautiful play called ‘Ek Lamhaa Zindagi’. It’s a very heartwarming love adaptation played by ‘Juhi Babbar Soni’.
4) Mehfil-Khaana:
If you were introduced to this festival from social media, then this is probably what intrigued you. ‘Mehfil’ means an assembly for entertainment. It offers special Ghazal performances, Qawwali Sessions, theatrical performances, Sufi music, and spoken word. I had the best time here, watching Salim-Suleiman perform with their entire crew was genuinely a delight.
THE EVERYWHERE TRAVELLER PRO TIP: Mehfil-Khaana has a premium seating area and a free section. The free section has limited seats. If you want the premium experience, then buying these tickets in the Early Bird offer is your best bet. Platinum seats for Day 3 go as high as 30K INR. My recommendation: Come to the free section and claim a seat 30-40 minutes before the show starts. After that, it’s nearly impossible to get one.
Aiwan-e-Zaiqa:
All the walking in the festival is sure to make you hungry, and Aiwan-e-Zaiqa is the right place for you. It’s a well-spread-out multi-cuisine experience. Most of the options (and good ones) are non-vegetarian. However, you can still find a few vegetarian food items here and there.
You can find items like Tikkas, Kebabs, and traditional meats. There are a few café-style stalls as well. After you’re done eating, you’re sure to be thirsty. Get a mojito to wash it down. But what I really recommend are the desserts. You can find all sorts of sweets like the famous Gond Halwa, Shahi Tukda, Bengali Sweets like Shondesh and a lot more. The smell of all this good food will not escape your nostrils, I bet.
One thing to note, though, food is overpriced here. But that’s the case with most festivals anyway, so heads up!
THE EVERYWHERE TRAVELLER PRO TIP: 2025’s Jashn-e-Rekhta: Urdu Festival Delhi had delicious tea stalls by the Taj. It’s a good blend of spiciness and sweetness served in Kulhads (clay cups used to serve tea – gives the tea earthy notes). I highly recommend it, and even more so in the evening when it gets chilly. Tea will be the perfect beverage to end the day and fuel you for your way home.
Rekhta Bazaar:
‘Bazaar’ directly translates to a market. This is a great marketplace for buying souvenirs for friends and family. You can find a wide range of items, from traditional Kashmiri articles like rugs and shawls to jhumkas, fridge magnets, and a lot more.
Rekhta Book Bazaar:
Rekhta Books Bazaar is a section similar to Rekhta Bazaar or maybe even a sub-section of it. Offering a completely different experience, you can walk in and find tables and tables of books. There are dictionaries, shayari books, stories, archives, accounts and a lot more. If you’re into reading Urdu literature, this is a haven for you.
Rekhta Pavillion:
The Rekhta pavilion is a special exhibition space that highlights some aspects in the heritage and evolution of this language. This year, this zone was split into two:
There’s a museum-like experience where you can check out more about Rare books, Manuscripts, and digitised versions of long-lost pages. There are a few kiosks that offer entertaining experiences as well. A dedicated section where you can learn more about Calligraphy, and even get your name calligraphed/ learn to trace it.
Also, there is a special celebratory area that highlights some famous talents: Mir, Ghalib, Iqbal, Faiz, etc.
It’s a great place to start if you don’t know much about Urdu but are open to learning. Also, it’s a very Instagrammable place, if you’re into that. Amidst the festival buzz, come here for a quiet and enriching experience.
Lights and Sound Show:
During the nighttime is really when you see the true ambience of the place, the decorations, the lighting. And along with that, there’s a beautiful light and sound show next to the big Jashn-e-Rekhta sign, all lit up and beautiful. If you’re there around 6-8 pm, you can probably catch it, and it’s fun. Sit at the edge of the lake, and have a peaceful time here.
the evening.
Other attractions at Urdu Festival Delh: Jashn-e-Rekhta
There’s also a ‘jheel’ lake here, which keeps the ambience up and high during the day and when the lights turn on during the night.
There’s also a big crescent moon that you can take pictures with. It also gets lit up during the night.
During the day, you can also check out a big flower garden for floral pictures. It’s very well maintained. You can find some aesthetics and pictures here.
My Experience at Jashn-e-Rekhta: Urdu Festival Delhi
This year, I got the opportunity to go and see this festivity for myself. It was a delight, to say the least. I’m not going to pretend like I’m the biggest Urdu enthusiast, but even I had a lot of fun, which goes to show that you needn’t be a superfan, just some willingness to indulge in the culture.
As soon as you enter, you’re greeted with a huge poster of 300+ artists who have left their mark on this wonderful event, including the likes of Gulzaar, Javed Akhtar, Jaswinder Singh, Piyush Mishra, Tabu, and Shankar Mahadevan.
Previous renditions had received complaints about the venue being too small, but organisers made sure to address that problem this year. The venue was comfortably big enough for the footfall. It was spread out well and planned well; the crowds never felt intimidating.
Conclusion:
If you want to have a chill evening, enjoy music, chill by the lake, enjoy some good food, learn more about Urdu, or just enjoy talking to more people, then this is for you.
It doesn’t matter if you’re alone, with friends, family or even a couple; there’s something for everyone.
I’d highly recommend Jashn-e-Rekhta at least once.
The best time to arrive, in my opinion, would depend on the individual. Check their schedule for the day, and if any event tickles your fancy, then plan accordingly. If none of the events excite you, then I recommend arriving at roughly 3 PM.
That way, you get ample time to explore, have a meal or two, find a seat in Mehfil-Khaana, and then chill after the event ends for some good pictures and/or a peaceful relaxation.
Your thoughts?
Let us know in the comments below.
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