Mysuru Selected as Host City for Prestigious 38th All India Postal Cultural Meet in 2026
The historic city of Mysuru has been officially announced as the host for the 38th All India Postal Cultural Meet (AIPCM) 2026, scheduled to take place from February 16 to 20, 2026. This major national event will bring together postal department employees and their family members from across the entire country for a celebration of culture and unity.
Official Announcement and Venue Details
Addressing the media at the Postal Training Centre (PTC) in Mysuru on Saturday, Sandesh Mahadevappa, Director of Postal Service (Headquarters) for the Karnataka Postal Circle, confirmed the details. The five-day cultural extravaganza will be held across two primary venues: the Postal Training Centre (PTC) campus and the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) campus.
The inaugural ceremony is set for 10:00 AM on February 16, 2026, at the Kaveri Auditorium within KSOU. The event will be formally inaugurated by Director General Jitendra Gupta. Adding significant cultural prestige, the internationally acclaimed violin duo, the Mysuru Brothers — Vidwan Mysore M Nagaraj and Vidwan Mysore M Manjunath — have been invited as the chief guests for the opening.
Scale, Participation, and Cultural Objectives
The meet is expected to see robust participation, with a total of 335 participants registered. This includes postal staff and their children representing 21 different postal circles from all corners of India. The core mission of the AIPCM is to foster cultural exchange, build camaraderie, and strengthen unity among the vast workforce of the Indian Postal Department while simultaneously showcasing and celebrating India's incredibly diverse cultural heritage.
To achieve this, the event will feature an impressive lineup of 32 distinct cultural competitions. The categories are designed to highlight both classical and popular art forms, including:
- Classical Vocal Music
- Bharatanatyam
- Kuchipudi
- Solo Singing
- Short Plays (One-Act Plays)
Each competing team can have a maximum of 24 members. The Karnataka contingent will be looking to improve upon its performance from the previous year, where it secured a commendable second place nationally.
Valedictory Function and Historical Context
The closing ceremony will be graced by the presence of renowned Hindustani vocalist Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, who will attend the valedictory function and personally distribute prizes to the winners. This event marks a return to a familiar host city; Mysuru has a rich history with the national postal cultural meet, having previously hosted the event in 1987, 1995, and 2008.
The most recent edition, the 37th All India Postal Cultural Meet for 2024–25, was successfully held in Kozhikode, Kerala, in March 2025. The announcement in Mysuru was made in the presence of other senior postal officials, including V Tara, Director of Bengaluru Central Region, and Ashish Singh Takur, Director of the Postal Training Centre in Mysuru.
