Hunar 2026: Celebrating Creativity beyond Classrooms at CDOE

Chandigarh, February 17, 2026:  The Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE), Panjab University, Chandigarh, organised its annual cultural festival Hunar 2026, reaffirming its commitment to holistic and inclusive education. Conceived as a vibrant cultural platform for distance learners, Hunar offers students visibility, voice and a sense of belonging beyond the confines of remote study.
Through poetry, music, dance, rangoli, mehndi, collage making, poster design and creative reuse of waste, participants expressed dimensions of their identities often unseen in routine academic evaluation. The session commenced with an address by Professor Harsh Gandhar, Director, CDOE, who introduced the event and highlighted its significance in nurturing creativity alongside academic excellence.
The Chief Guest, Dr Chander Trikha, prominent writer and former Director of Sahitya Akademi, Haryana, motivated students to cultivate artistic engagement as a means of refining sensibility and cleansing the mind of negativity. Guest of Honour Dr Maneshwar Singh Kondal, noted astrologer, photographer and motivational speaker, appreciated the enthusiasm of participants and underscored the importance of discipline and sustained practice in honing talent. Another Guest of Honour, Mr Ojaswee Sharma, National Award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter, shared insights from his artistic journey and encouraged students to pursue their creative aspirations with commitment and resilience.
A tribute was paid to Dr Gaurav Vij of DAV College, Abohar, a distinguished faculty member and theatre artist. The inaugural session was moderated by Dr Ravinder Kaur. Nearly 150 students and faculty members participated, making Hunar 2026 a memorable celebration of creativity, community and cultural expression.
Dr Gurraj Singh, theatre artist and folk dance expert, and Dr Jhujhar Singh Sandhu, internationally acclaimed Punjabi and Haryanvi folk dance artist, were the distinguished guests at the valedictory session. The formal vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Kamla Sandhu.