Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts

Time to Visit:On all Government working days.

Preferred Timings: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm

Admission Fee:Free and open to all

Photography charges: nil, permission required

How to Reach: Tourists can either take local buses from various points within the city to reach the centre or they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or metro rail.

Nearest Railway Station: New Delhi Railway Station

Nearest Metro Station: Patel Chowk

Functional Metro Station: Patel Chowk

Nearest International Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport

Time required for sightseeing: Approx 50 minutes

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) was inaugurated on 19 November 1985 by then the Prime Minister of India, Late Rajiv Gandhi. It was established realizing the need to 'encompass the study and experience of all the arts- each form with its own integrity, yet within a dimension of mutual interdependence, interrelated with nature, social structure and cosmology'.

At present IGNCA serves as a major resource centre for the arts as it has tried over the years to preserve the distributed fragments of Indian art and culture. For this IGNCA has also collaborated with UNDP to use technology for preservation as well as easy dissemination of cultural informations. The centre has five main divisions namely Kala Darsana, Sutradhara, Kalakosa, Janapada Sampada and Kala Nidhi for smooth and effective functioning. Kala Nidhi is an extensive developing data bank on arts, humanities, and cultural heritage. The not-to-miss feature of this division is the large reference library, which is open on all the Saturdays. IGNCA also coordinates various programmes of research, creative activities, training and performance through put the year.

Special Event / Annual Event

The Kala Darsana division of the IGNCA organizes different programmes and festivals at the exhibition space of the centre known as Matigarh aimed at promoting and highlighting the diverse arts and cultures. The details of the events are well advertised in advance.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

Rastrapati Bhawan, India Gate, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Hanuman Mandir

Nearby Places to Eat

Imperial Hotel, Hotel The Park, Hotel Le Meridien, Hotel Inter-Continental, Parikrama Revolving restaurant, Gaylord, El Rodeo, Bercos, Zen restaurant, Delhi Darbar, Nizam's Kathi Kebabs and Standard Restaurant. For snacks and fast foods: Bengali Market (sweets and chat), Kake da hotel (Indian food), Wenger, Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Nirula's, Ruby Tuesday, Sona Rupa, Starbeans, Barista, Café Coffee Day and innumerable roadside foodstalls.

Nearby Shopping Venues

Connaught Place (jewellery, books, art galleries, leather goods and the list goes on) Baba Kharak Singh Marg (it has emporium of all states of India dedicated to state's unique art and craft created by traditional and skilled artisans.) Central Cottage Industries (merchandise and curios), Janpath (clothes and low priced gifts, souvenirs and curios), Panchkuian Road (ethnic things), Khan Market (local residential market) and Palika Bazaar (electronic items)