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Bengaluru: Namma Bengaluru is all set to host the 2nd National Cultural Pythian Games 2025, a grand celebration of India’s artistic spirit and cultural unity. The event will be held from November 7 to 9, 2025, at Bengaluru City University, Base Camp by Push Sports, organised by the Pythian Council of India under the auspices of the International Pythian Council.This three-day festival — the first-ever National Cultural Pythian Games in South India — will unite artists, performers, athletes, and cultural enthusiasts from across the country. Competitions and showcases will span diverse categories, including music, dance, singing, poetry, drawing, painting, rangoli, mehndi design, Mallakhamb, rope skipping, Gatka, arm wrestling, roller musical chairs, Silambam, karate, taekwondo, Pittu, Kalaripayattu, tug of war, sack race, one-leg race, and barefoot race, representing various categories of the Modern Pythian Games:Musical, Vocal, and Instrumental ArtsPerforming and Theatre ArtsVisual, Heritage, and Artisan ArtsSocial and Cultural ArtsLanguage, Literary, and Oratory ArtsArchitectonics & Eco ArtsRobotic, Virtual, and Digital ArtsMartial Arts and Traditional GamesThe opening ceremony will be held on November 7 at 10 am , and the Closing Ceremony on November 9 at 5 pm, featuring a vibrant display of talent, creativity, and cultural exchange.Mr. Bijender Goel, Founder of the Modern Pythian Games, said:“We are revitalising a practice forgotten for more than 1,600 years — the Modern Pythian Games. When arts, culture, and sports converge as a worldwide movement, they transcend competition; they become a universal expression of peace, creativity, and cultural unity.”Mr. Shantanu Agrahari, IAS, President, Pythian Council of India, shared:“Hosting the National Cultural Pythian Games 2025 in Bengaluru is a strategic and symbolic choice. South India has long been a cradle of India’s artistic excellence — from Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam to ancient martial traditions like Kalaripayattu and Silambam. Bengaluru, as a cosmopolitan and culturally vibrant city, reflects the blend of heritage and modernity that defines today’s India. By bringing the Pythian Games here, we are connecting South India’s rich legacy to a national and global platform, empowering its youth, artists, and traditional practitioners to shine on the world stage.”The Organising Committee for the 2025 Games is led by Shri B. H. Anil Kumar, IAS (Chairperson), Mr. Shantanu Agrahari, IAS, President, PCI, Mrs. Sneha Venkataramani (Organising Secretary), and Mr. S. Siva Kumar (Secretary General).A Historic LegacyThe Pythian Games were one of the Pan-Hellenic Games of ancient Greece, celebrated alongside the Olympic Games. While the Olympics focused on athletics, the Pythian Games honoured the arts — including music, poetry, dance, theatre, wrestling, and chariot racing — as a tribute to the God Apollo.In modern times, the Games have been revived by Mr. Bijender Goel, Founder of the Modern Pythian Games, creating the world’s first global platform that unites arts, culture, and traditional games — bringing back a 2,600-year-old tradition for a new generation.Organised by the Pythian Council of India, a non-profit organisation, this event marks a milestone in the global revival of the Modern Pythian Games — a historic convergence of arts, culture, and traditional sports.Following the success of the 1st National Cultural Pythian Games 2024 in Panchkula, this Bengaluru edition promises to be even more spectacular, drawing over 2,000 participants from 10+ states and union territories, and is expected to reach more than 80 million people through television, print, and digital media.Reviving a Global LegacyThe Modern Pythian Games movement was unveiled in December 2023 by Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs and Culture, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, during the first Pythian Games Festival in New Delhi. Since then, it has gained international momentum, with upcoming global editions including:The 1st Global Pythian Youth Games (Moscow, 2026)The Global Pythonova Pythian Games for the Differently Abled (New Delhi, December 2025)And the Historic Revival of the Global Pythian Games (Athens, 2027) — envisioned as the “Olympics of Arts, Culture, and Traditional Games.”A Platform for Cultural DiplomacyThe 2nd National Cultural Pythian Games 2025 in Bengaluru serve as a platform for cultural diplomacy, uniting artists, athletes, and innovators under the banner of creativity, inclusiveness, and national pride. It reinforces India’s global leadership in cultural dialogue and harmony through the arts. "We are proud to share that the International Delphic Committee (Russia) and the Ecumenical Delphic Union (Greece) have agreed to collaborate with the International Pythian Council, New Delhi. Support from ICCR and the Delhi Government for the upcoming Pythonova Games further establishes India’s leadership role in the world of culture and creativity,” said...
