Press Note | NIMHANS, NCBS and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Announce the Third Edition of Manotsava, India’s National Mental Health Festival

The two-day festival returns to Bengaluru on December 5–6, bringing together science, lived experience, art and community to deepen public conversations on mental health.

Bengaluru, October 27, 2026: Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP), the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) will co-host the third edition of Manotsava, India’s National Mental Health Festival, on December 5 and 6, 2026, at Jayamahal Palace Hotel, Bengaluru. 

Manotsava brings together science, lived experience and community to make mental health conversations accessible and relevant, while connecting people with the knowledge, resources and support they need.

The two-day festival will feature expert-led panels and keynote conversations, film screenings, workshops, sharing circles, performances and interactive experiences. A dedicated focus on Kannada-language sessions will help bring mental health conversations to wider audiences and make space for local knowledge, voices and experiences. A children’s zone is also being curated and will offer read-alouds, sessions with experts and interactive workshops & stalls. 

The programme will explore themes that touch everyday life, including laughter and the mind; relationships across family, love, sexuality, work and generations; living in today’s world amid AI, technology, stress, sleep and social media; and recovery and healing through grief, caregiving, volunteering and community support. 

Speakers at this year’s festival include actor Anil Kapoor, neuroscientist Dr Sophie Scott, comedians Prashasti Singh and Sonu Venugopal, Dr Shyam Bhatt, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Paromita Vohra, Dr Prabha Chandra and Rohini Nilekani, among others.

An important part of Manotsava is its emphasis on the power of community in mental health. This edition of the festival brought forward sharing circles as a lead-up to the event. Over 20 sharing circles on topics such as relationships, ageing, caregiving, adoption, and more were held in Bengaluru and Delhi across August, September, and October, drawing over 300 attendees.  

Alongside this, a public photography contest titled Frames of Familiarity was announced, inviting people to tell a visual story on perspectives. The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2026. 

This open and free-for-all festival welcomes people from all walks of life, including students, professionals, caregivers, mental health practitioners, and anyone interested in understanding mental wellbeing.

For more information and festival updates, visit: https://www.nationalmentalhealthfestival.com/