01 / STORIES & IDEAS
Conversations that stay.
Books, readings, author interactions and discussions that invite children to form questions of their own.
Literature and Heritage Festival.
At ELC, we believe children are capable of asking thoughtful questions, forming their own perspectives and developing a deep relationship with the world around them.
Our Literature & Heritage Festival creates space for these encounters beyond the classroom. Authors, storytellers, artists, musicians, scientists and heritage practitioners share their work with children—not simply to offer answers, but to invite curiosity and conversation.
Literature, art, science and nature are not separate worlds. Each offers a different way to observe, question and understand life. The festival brings these worlds together, in a spirit of openness, empathy and inquiry.
What children encounter.
Our previous festivals have created opportunities to listen, question, experiment, make and meet people whose work opens new ways of thinking.
02 / LEARNING BY DOING
Make. Try. Discover.
Creative workshops and lived experiences that allow children to work with ideas rather than simply hear about them.
03 / ROOTED IN PLACE
Living heritage.
Local traditions, nature, science, music and art that deepen our understanding of Mangalore and the wider world.
Three years of discovery.
From literature and art to local heritage and connected ideas, each edition has invited a different kind of encounter.
2023
Literature & Art Festival
Held from 21–28 October across the ELC and CFAL campuses, this edition brought together writers, researchers, creative practitioners and performers. The announced line-up included Jerry Pinto, Roopa Pai, David Rosario, Nandita Jayaraj, Poorva Agarwal and Subhas Chandra Basu, alongside workshops and cultural performances.
2024
Literature & Heritage Festival
Held 16–24 November, this edition turned attention toward Mangalore’s cultural and natural landscape. The announced activities included Azulejo tile painting, mandala art and other workshops exploring heritage, creativity and sustainability.
2025
Connected Wisdom: Living Stories, Living Systems
This edition brought literature, science and heritage into one programme. Its announced participants included Roopa Pai, Priya Muthukumar, Nandita Jayaraj and others, with storytelling, discussions, performances, nature-related experiences and workshops. The programme was held in association with the Mangalore Heritage Group.
Not only what children learn, but how they learn to look at the world.
The 2026 edition.
| Event | Date | Time | Who can join | Ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Colour Chemistry Workshop with Vanditha | 20 November | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Students of Grades 3-5 | Rs 200 |
| Natural Textile Techniques Workshop with Vanditha | 20 November | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Students of Grades 6-9 | Rs 200 |
| Creative Thinking Workshop with Praveen Alva and Ashwin Ragavendra | 21 November | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Students of Grades 6-9 | Rs 300 |
| Creative Thinking Workshop with Praveen Alva and Ashwin Ragavendra | 23 November | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Students of Grades 3-5 | Rs 300 |
| Puppet-making Workshop with K. Rajeev (Tholpavakoothu) | 28 November | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM | 1st session: Ages 8 - 12 2nd session: 12 and above (Including adults) | Rs 200 |
| Other festival sessions, visits and talks | Throughout the festival | ELC & CFAL students | Included |
Meet the Facilitators
VANDITHA
Mud Architect & Sustainability Practitioner
What can mud teach us about living more consciously? For Vanditha, it began with over three years of learning and working with mud and lime, and grew into a journey of reconnecting with nature. She leads hands-on workshops on natural colours, upcycling, composting and waste management, and has collaborated with SWMRT, SayTrees and Saahas.
PRAVEEN ALVA
Architect, Musician, Academician
Praveen is an architect and co-founder of the design-build firm IN-Habitat Projects. A self-taught guitarist, he writes songs in Tulu. His debut EP Neerh was named among Rolling Stone India’s 10 Best Indian EPs of 2024.
He is also the founder of Alva Kuuto, the world’s first Tulu folk rock band.
ASHWIN RAGHAVENDRA
A filmmaker and actor from Mangalore with a background in Journalism and Mass Communication, Ashwin learned cinema through experience, working across acting, writing, direction and cinematography.
His debut feature, Not Reachable (2024), explores grief through a man’s loss of someone close. For Ashwin, cinema is a way of observing life and finding stories in the things we leave unsaid.
K. RAJEEV
Tholpavakoothu Shadow Puppeteer & Traditional Artist
Rooted in a nine-generation legacy of Kerala’s shadow puppetry, K. Rajeev has practised Tholpavakoothu since the age of eight, learning from his father and guru, K. K. Ramachandra Pulavar. Alongside traditional temple performances, he creates shadow-puppet stories on road safety, Panchatantra tales and the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2016), he has performed across India and abroad, and was recently featured in Humans of Bombay.
ROOPA PAI
Children’s Author & Journalist
A Bangalore-based children’s author and journalist with over 20 published books, Roopa Pai is the creator of Taranauts, India’s first fantasy-adventure series for children. Her national bestseller The Gita for Children won the 2016 Crossword Award for children’s writing. Known for her engaging storytelling, she simplifies complex subjects across history, science, philosophy and mythology.
Workshops and Events
A festival in the heart of the school.
We look forward to welcoming children, families and curious minds to conversations that extend beyond any single classroom.
Host
Early Learning Centre (ELC), Mangalore
Location
Bejai–Kapikad Road, Mangalore – 575004
Enquiries
Curiosity has a place here.
Our festivals grow out of a simple conviction: children deserve to encounter the richness of ideas, cultures and questions that make our world worth exploring.
Discover life at ELC