SAARC Cultural Centre

22/04/2026

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
The first session of the SAARC Talk Series 2026 (Virtual Mode) was held on Tuesday, 07 April 2026 at the SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka. The session featured Mr. Vimukthi Jayasundara, an acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist in feature film, experimental cinema, video installation, and performance. His talk, ‘Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power: The Role of Independent Cinema in South Asia’ drew on over two decades of his experience in film direction and production. Through engaging insights and personal anecdotes, he explored the significance, potential, and challenges of independent filmmaking within the South Asian context.

Visit: https://youtu.be/UiwMnWApIzo

First Session of the SAARC Talk Series 2026

18/04/2026

South Asia is home to an impressive 𝟔𝟕 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐎 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 spread across six countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas recognised for their outstanding universal value, legally protected under international treaties for their cultural, historical, or scientific significance.

This World Heritage Day, let’s explore South Asia’s World Heritage Sites—𝒊𝒏 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔!

Source: UNESCO

14/04/2026

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬!
𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞!

07/04/2026

𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑!
SAARC TALK SERIES 2026

Join us today, 07 April 2026 at 03:00 pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time)
Topic: "𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒂 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒔𝒊𝒂"
Speaker: 𝐌𝐫. 𝐕𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐢 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐚, 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫
Join us via Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81806190307
Meeting ID: 818 0619 0307

31/03/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬
We are pleased to announce the Call for Papers for Issue 2 of the annual journal of the SAARC Cultural Centre, 𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔: 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒔𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆

Theme: 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔: 𝑴𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒐𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒔𝒊𝒂
Last Date for Submission: 10 June 2026

For more details: https://saarcculture.org/call-for-papers-cultural-currents-journal-of-south-asian-culture-issue-no-2-2026/

30/03/2026

𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥)
We are pleased to invite you to the first session of the SAARC Talk Series 2026, featuring an insightful talk on the role of cinema in shaping regional narratives and global perceptions.

Date: Tuesday, 07 April 2026
Time: 3:00 PM (Sri Lanka Standard Time)
Speaker: 𝐌𝐫. 𝐕𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐢 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐚, 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫
Topic: 𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒂 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒔𝒊𝒂
Join us via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81806190307
Meeting ID: 818 0619 0307

27/03/2026

SAARC Cultural Centre is pleased announce the 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 on 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒: 𝐶𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠-𝐶𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑢𝑚𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝐴𝐴𝑅𝐶 𝑅𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛.

For more information: https://saarcculture.org/call-for-proposals-saarc-research-grants-2026/

26/03/2026

𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡.

25/03/2026

As Bangladesh marks its Independence Day on 26 March, let us explore some fascinating facts about the country’s national emblem.

Source:
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Cabinet Division, Bangladesh National Emblem Rules, 1972, (amended up to January, 2002)

23/03/2026

𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧.

22/03/2026

This 23rd March, as we celebrate Pakistan’s National Day, join us in discovering some remarkable facts about Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan, a timeless symbol of unity, vision, and independence.

Sources:
Majestic Pakistan, Compiled by Muhammad Daud Ehtisham and Dr. Sarfaz Ahmed Khan Sipra, High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka
Associated Press of Pakistan- https://www.app.com.pk/domestic/decoding-symbolism-in-minar-e-pakistan-architecture/

21/03/2026

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬!!