New Delhi,
On 13 December, Inkpot India presented the first chapter of Songs of the Stone, an after-dark cultural programme at the Qutub Minar that repositioned the monument as a space for listening, interpretation and contemporary cultural exchange. Held in association with Delhi Tourism and the Archaeological Survey of India, and co-presented by Max Estates, the event was designed as a focused dialogue between music, architecture and site. The Qutub Minar was not a backdrop, but the central participant.
Curated by Simar Malhotra, Founder of Inkpot India, the evening featured a sitar performance by Mehtab Ali Niazi and his ensemble. The repertoire was developed specifically for the monument, responding to its scale, acoustics and spatial character while remaining grounded in classical tradition. Author and cultural historian Eric Chopra, Founder of Itihasology, opened the program with brief reflections on the Qutub complex and the historical significance of the Mehrauli region.
The experience followed a multisensory format, integrating sound, visual cues and subtle sensory elements to encourage attentiveness and presence, with minimal intervention and maximum focus on the site. Commenting on the initiative, Simar Malhotra said, “India’s heritage sites are not relics—they are active cultural spaces. Songs of the Stone is about engaging with them directly and intelligently, without spectacle.”
The audience included a curated group of cultural patrons, diplomats, artists and writers, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on depth over scale. Conceived as an ongoing series, Songs of the Stone will travel to other heritage sites, using music and site-responsive curation to explore place, memory and cultural continuity.
The event was produced in association with Excurators Events Pvt Ltd.
About Inkpot India
Inkpot India is a cultural platform curating site-led and interdisciplinary programs across music, literature and contemporary cultural discourse, with a focus on context-driven engagement rather than format-driven events.
