[Arirang Culture Connect: New Delhi, 12 December 2025]

President Park SeongYong (second from the left) and Chairman V. Jayarajan Vakil (third from the right) jointly presented the Arirang Master Award certificate to Prof. Deepti Omchery Bhalla (center). Also present were IAB Members Prof. Huh Kwon (far left), Joanne Orr(second from the left) and Mr. Eivind Falk (far right).

On 12 December 2025, the India International Centre (IIC) Annexe in New Delhi became a powerful crossroads of global culture as the Arirang Master Award ceremony unfolded. More than a celebratory event, the occasion stood as a testament to how intangible cultural heritage (ICH) can function as a living force for dialogue, dignity, and peace in an increasingly fragmented world.

At the heart of the ceremony was Prof. Deepti Omchery Bhalla, one of India’s most distinguished exponents of classical dance, who was conferred the Arirang Master Award in recognition of her lifelong contribution as a performer, scholar, educator, and cultural ambassador.

Honourable Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, delivering her remarks.

A Ceremony of Cultural Resonance and Global Solidarity

Held at 10:00 AM at the IIC Annexe, a venue synonymous with intellectual and cultural excellence, the ceremony was jointly hosted by Culture Masters and the Inter-City Intangible Cultural Cooperation Network (ICCN).
The event was meticulously organized by the Advocacy Alliance for Culture Masters (AACM) in collaboration with the Folkland International Centre for Folklore & Culture.

The gathering brought together cultural policymakers, international delegates, scholars, and artists from across regions, underscoring the growing international stature of the Arirang Masters initiative as a platform for ethical cultural recognition and cooperation.

The programme opened with an invocation, followed by a Welcome Address from Ms. Sigma G. Nath, Project Coordinator of Culture Masters, who highlighted the shared global responsibility to safeguard intangible cultural heritage.

Dr. Jayarajan underscored the international significance of the Arirang Award, established by Culture Masters.

The Presidential Address was delivered by Dr. V. Jayarajan, Secretary-General of ICCN and Chairperson of the International Advisory Board (IAB). He highlighted that the future of heritage lies not in institutions alone, but in empowering the artists and communities who embody and transmit living traditions.

Honourable Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, delivering her remarks.

The Keynote Address was presented by Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, who reflected on the ethical responsibility of artists and cultural institutions to preserve artistic integrity while engaging meaningfully with global audiences.

Commemorative photograph of the principal dignitaries attending the award ceremony along with the traditional performing troupe.

Dr. SeongYong Park, President, presenting the future vision of the Arirang Master Award.

Articulating the Vision of Arirang Masters

In his Distinguished Guest Address, Dr. SeongYong Park, President of Culture Masters and Chairperson of the AACM, articulated the foundational philosophy and long-term vision of the Arirang Masters program.

Dr. Park emphasized that Culture Masters is guided by a core mission: to elevate the social and cultural status of intangible heritage artists and their communities; to expand opportunities for public engagement and visibility; and to empower culture bearers as active participants in global cultural life. He noted that strengthening the dignity and agency of practitioners contributes not only to the sustainability of artistic traditions, but also to the cultural development of humanity and the promotion of a culture of peace.

He reaffirmed that the Arirang Master Award is firmly grounded in the principles of UNESCO’s 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist and the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Within this framework, the award recognizes practitioners who demonstrate exceptional mastery of skill, creative innovation rooted in tradition, and a sustained commitment to education and mentorship.

Looking ahead, Dr. Park outlined several future-oriented initiatives. He announced plans for the 2026 Suwon Forum, envisioned as an international platform for policy dialogue and practical exchange among culture bearers, scholars, cities, and institutions. He also revealed preparations for the pilot edition of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Grand Festival, scheduled to take place in Korea in 2026. This festival is designed as a practice-based global gathering in which traditions are actively shared, transmitted, and collaboratively reimagined.

Through these initiatives, Dr. Park emphasized, Culture Masters seeks to move beyond symbolic recognition toward structural support, enhanced international mobility, and sustainable models of global cultural cooperation.

Prof. Deepti Omchery Bhalla delivering her acceptance speech at the award ceremony.

Prof. Deepti Omchery Bhalla: A Living Bridge of Tradition and Innovation

The formal investiture of the Arirang Master Award was jointly conducted by Dr. SeongYong Park and Dr. V. Jayarajan, symbolizing a collective international commitment to honoring excellence in living heritage.

A top-graded artist of All India Radio and an ICCR-empanelled performer of international repute, Prof. Bhalla is also the former Dean of the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts at the University of Delhi. Over a career spanning more than a thousand performances worldwide, she has expanded the expressive horizons of Indian classical dance through seminal works such as AMSHI and the innovative Mohiniyattam–Kathak Jugalbandi, which bridges distinct classical traditions through dialogue and mutual respect.

Prof. Huh Kwon(left), IAB Member, and Director Eivind Falk (right) delivering congratulatory remarks.

Felicitations by International Advisory Board members Mr. Huh Kwon, Mr. Eivind Falk, and Ms. Joanne Orr celebrated her role as an embodiment of intercultural exchange. A specially curated dance presentation by her disciples, offered in homage to her legacy, added a deeply moving dimension to the ceremony.

In her Acceptance Address, Prof. Bhalla expressed profound gratitude for the honor, describing it as a shared recognition of her teachers, students, and the wider artistic community. She reaffirmed her unwavering commitment to nurturing future generations and ensuring that classical arts continue to evolve as living, relevant practices.

The Arirang Masters Program: From Recognition to Cultural Diplomacy

Launched in 2023, the Arirang Masters program was conceived not as a symbolic award, but as a strategic platform for international cultural diplomacy. Its intellectual roots trace back to the Arirang Prize proposed by the Republic of Korea at the UNESCO General Conference in 2001, and to the inscription of Arirang on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.

Building on this legacy, Culture Masters reimagined Arirang not as a static emblem, but as a global ethos centered on the dignity, agency, and creativity of living practitioners.

As of December 2025, more than 30 practitioners from 21 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania have been designated as Arirang Masters. Beyond formal recognition, they benefit from a multilayered support system that includes international media exposure through Arirang Culture Connect, dedicated promotion via the Culture Masters YouTube channel, opportunities for global performances and workshops, and access to collaborative cultural and policy forums.

Disciples of Prof. Deepti Omchery Bhalla presenting a traditional Mohiniyattam performance.

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Recognition, Responsibility, and the Path Forward

While international recognition inevitably raises questions about hierarchy and authority, the Arirang Masters program addresses these concerns through transparency, participatory evaluation, and community-centered ethics. Its purpose is not to elevate individuals above their communities, but to redistribute visibility, resources, and respect in ways that strengthen cultural ecosystems.

By linking recognition with education, mobility, and cooperation, the program demonstrates that intangible heritage is not a remnant of the past, but a strategic resource for addressing contemporary global challenges, from social cohesion to sustainable development.

Conclusion: Heritage Lives Through People

The New Delhi ceremony affirmed a simple yet profound truth: heritage lives through people. It is carried in bodies, memories, and practices, renewed through teaching and exchange, and sustained through dignity and opportunity.

The Arirang Master Award, and the broader Arirang Masters initiative, stands as a bridge between tradition and future possibility. From New Delhi to Suwon and beyond, it continues to shape a global space where culture becomes not only a legacy to protect, but a shared pathway toward understanding, solidarity, and peace.

Highlights video of the Arirang Master Award ceremony.