Rare documents, letters, and photographs of the British era are going to be on display at the National Archives from Wednesday till January 31 in an exhibition entitled 'Commemorating 150 Years of Presidency Universities, 1857-2007'.

Amongst the displays is a tabular statement depicting the annual allocation of funds towards education by the East India Company during the period 1813-30. The observations of HH Wilson before the Select Committee of the House of Lords on the establishment of universities in India in 1854 also makes for interesting reading, giving an insight into the minds of those who were opposed to higher education in India.

The ‘Sarees of India’ Exhibition, currently on at Pragati Maidan, has perhaps India’s largest collection of Sarees on display at any single place and is a must-visit for all the ladies out there.

The range includes sarees from diverse places all across the country like Madhubani from Bihar, Tanchoi from Uttar Pradesh, Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, Patola from Gujrat, Bandhani from Rajasthan, Gadwal from Andhra Pradesh, Kanchipuram from Tamil Naidu, Sambalpuri from Orissa, Kantha/Baluchari/Tangail from West Bengal & many more types of sarees.

The "Rail Heritage Month'', currently being organized by Northern Railway, aims at providing people a chance to learn more about the Railways by taking them on short trips aboard heritage coaches.

In case you are looking for something unique to add to the décor of your home, do make it a point to visit the North-East Craft & Culture Festival, currently on at the Dilli Haat till the end of this month.

On display would be a wide range of exquisitely crafted bamboo furniture, tribal ornaments, wood carvings, carpets and mats, bed covers and traditionally designed North-Eastern sarees.

The Venue: Dilli Haat, New Delhi

Several puppet theatre groups from across the country will join the Sangeet Natak Academy in organizing the ‘Putul Yatra’ – an exhibition of Indian puppets, being held from January 19 to February 5 at the Meghdoot theatre, Rabindra Bhavan.

The festival will showcase a major exhibition of Indian puppets, international seminar and video documentaries on puppet theatre from the archives of the academy. There will also be live demonstrations of the puppets.

Theatre lovers in the Capital will get another chance to savour good drama this week as a nine-day theatre festival titled ‘Natsamrat Natya Utsav’ opens in the city on January 20. The festival is being organized by Natsamrat, a creative theatre group.

On the first day, director Shyam Kumar's play "Kambakht Ishq" will be staged. It revolves round a doctor whose two patients are facing peculiar problems despite having no disease. Showing the funny side of a man-woman relationship is "Pati Gaye Ree Kathiawar" that will be staged the next day. Also on the same day, a hilarious play, "Bade Bhai Sahab and Sudama Ke Chawal", will be shown.

The Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre is organising a month-long photo-documentary exhibition, titled "World Heritage Hungary" at its Janpath premises beginning January 22. The exhibition will throw light on some of the most enchanting facets of Hungary that have been proclaimed by UNESCO's convention concerning the protection of world culture and natural heritage of its member-States.

Some of Hungary's contributions to the most precious sites of humanity's heritage include the endless plains of Hortobagy, the incomparable panorama of Budapest, the architectural and intellectual heritage of Pannonhalma. Besides the unique dripstone formations of the Baradla Cavern, the Palok houses of Holloko that are considered masterpieces of vernacular architecture, the frescoes of the early Christian crypts in Pecs all contribute to make Hungary an important destination for heritage.

The Venue: Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, Janpath, New Delhi

The Dates: 22nd January – 21st February, 2007

'Lok Tarang', the Annual National Folk Dance Festival, to be inaugurated by President A P J Abdul Kalam on January 24, will this year showcase 22 dance forms that have been revived under the 'Guru Shishya Parampara', along with other group presentations. Performers from across the country will present their compositions at the six-day annual festival, celebrating the resurgence of the Indian Republic and its cultural heritage.

About 800 dancers will present 41 folk dance forms at the festival which is being organized to preserve and promote the art forms of the country. The festival will have representation from all states and it is an attempt to keep dying art forms alive.

The Venue: Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi

The Date: 24th January – 29th January, 2007

Zak Interior Exterior Expo and International Furniture Fair is an exclusive exhibition designed to meet the interiors and exteriors needs of retail as well as institutional clients. It is unique in every aspect and is the first expo of its kind being held in Delhi.

It is planned as a one-stop to know the who's who of the lifestyle industry and provides a rare chance to exhibit decorative accessories to an audience focused on this segment. On display would be home décor and lifestyle objects from across the globe, and some really exquisite pieces of furniture.

For the first time in India, ten contemporary Chinese artists will showcase their work at Vadehra Art Gallery beginning January 25. The exhibition of paintings, titled ‘Shanghai Contemporary’, will be showcasing the works of contemporary Chinese artists who have already showcased their paintings in galleries in the United States, Western Europe, South East Asia, Japan and China.

Hindustan Times is organizing a three-day ‘Delhi Arts Festival’ from January 26th in the city. The festival will showcase classical dance recitals, sufi and traditional music concerts and folk dances, amongst other events.

The highlight of the festival will be the Sufi Soul Nite which will include performances by artists from across the border.

The schedule for the festival is:

- 26th January: "Vande Mataram" - Dance Recital by several famous Indian Dancers.

- 27th January: "Layalahiri" - Percussion Ensemble led by Anoor Shivu

- 27th January: "Rango Ki Bahaar" – A Folk Dance performance by well acclaimed Folk Troupes of India.

- 28th January: "Bharatnatyam” performance by Prathibha Prahlad

- 28th January: "Sufi Soul Nite" – An evening of Sufi Music/Darvish Dance/Dholak) by artists from Lahore.

The Venue: The Ashok, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

The Date: 26th January – 28th January, 2007

It’s an invitation to all foodies to visit the Said-ul-Ajaib (better known as the Garden of Five Senses) for a three-day Food Festival starting January 26. The options includes items from Rajasthani, South Indian, Chinese, and Punjabi cuisines along with other options like pizza and chat.

There will also be cultural programs by Sahitya Kala Parishad and Punjabi Academy as well as kiddie attractions like kite flying, camel rides, scooter rides, and swings.

Get to Odyssey at Sahara Mall for the Kashmir Food festival and enjoy a la carte food on weekdays and dinner buffets on weekends. Starter options include kebabs and nadur munji. For entrees one could try the goshtaba, rista, daniwal chicken korma, chuk waangun, and wuzij chaman.

For dessert the best option is a bowl of hot suji phirni along with some authentic Kashmiri Kahwa. The buffet would come to around Rs. 500 per person and the a-la-carte option would cost around Rs 250-300 per dish. 

Fast punches, speed racers, and flashbangs will fly as high-intensity gaming arrives at SKOAR! 2007 - SKOAR! magazine''s third interactive gaming expo which will be held at Pragati Maidan from January 26th .

SKOAR! 2007 aims to bring together the crème de la crème of game publishers, game developers, gaming and hardware companies, production houses and animation institutes, all converging towards one cause — to spread awareness about gaming in a country where it is still at a nascent stage.

So get away from your playstations, and head to Pragati Maidan this Republic Day.

The Venue: Hall No. 12, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

The Dates: 26th – 28th January, 2007

This Republic Day enjoy the celebrations at Dilli Haat, with the Ministry of Culture organizing folk Dances and cultural programmes and presentations from Janaury 26th to 28th. The celebrations will start on Republic Day and will continue till the Beating Retreat, two days later.

One could also buy passes for the Republic Day parade at Rajpath, from Dilli Haat itself.

The Venue: Dilli Haat, New Delhi

Here’s some good new for all book lovers in the city – the World Book Fair, held every year, is all set to start in the capital from the 27th of January, 2007.

The fair provides a wonderful opportunity for book lovers to buy books related to their interest and hobbies & also get to meet their favorite authors. For publishers, book retailers, librarians and booksellers, the fair provides an excellent opportunity to expand their business & knowledge base.

There will be a wide array of books available from across the world on every possible subject and for every age group – from kids to adults.

The Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

The Date: 27th January – 4th February, 2007

Directed by Ravi Taneja, Kal College Band Rahega is an incisive satire on the politicization of campus life and the students’ lack of respect towards their teachers.

The play is a must-watch for its engrossing plot and witty dialogues.

The Venue: LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi

The Date: 27th January, 2007

The annual Gunidas Sangeet Sammelan, featuring live performances by internationally renowned exponents of Indian classical music, opens at Kamani Auditorium in Delhi on Saturday. Organised by Citigroup, the two-day festival will have live performances by danseuse Sonal Mansingh, flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia and vocalists Veena Sahasrabudhe and Pandit Suhas Vyas.

Featuring some of the finest live performances by maestros of Indian classical music, the Sammelan has a rich legacy of 30 years. According to the organizers, the objective of the Sammelan is to bring together exponents of Indian classical music, both vocal and instrumental, from various gharanas on the same platform.