Jaipur, City of Happiness

Jaipur did not wait for the programme to begin. Before the doors of Birla Auditorium opened, young women in Rajasthani dress were offering aarti, volunteers were pinning marigold scarves, and students in school uniform were filing into the rows. That first hour said a great deal about why we speak of Jaipur as a City of Happiness: here, wellbeing is received as hospitality, not as a lecture.

Our Chief Guest, His Excellency Haribhau Kisanrao Bagade, Governor of Rajasthan, opened the third edition with the Deep Prajwalan and Vande Mataram. I had the honour of joining him at the dais as a dignitary together with Lyonpo Thakur S. Powdyel, former Education Minister of Bhutan, whose life's work on education and Gross National Happiness has inspired so many of us. Master of Ceremonies Abha Dwivedi held the room with grace across the whole first day.

K. Vikram Rastogi, Head of the World Happiness Foundation India Chapter, welcomed a full house. In my own address I spoke about happiness as an ecosystem rather than an individual achievement: a city flourishes when its government, schools, businesses, artisans, spiritual traditions and families reinforce one another. The Governor's words that followed carried exactly that spirit of shared responsibility.

The first session, powered by Okay Plus and moderated by Abha Dwivedi, explored inner peace, mindfulness and timeless wisdom as tools to navigate modern life with clarity. Vrindavan Chandra Das opened the morning, followed by Rajyogini BK Jayanti Didi of the Brahma Kumaris, Dr. Saamdu Chetri, representing the Rekhi Foundation for Happiness, and Raj Agarwal, MD and CEO of Genus Power Infrastructures, the company that powers this forum.

I opened the Physical Wellness session, powered by the Art of Living, with something personal: the launch of the Meta Pets musical, Unlocking Your Light Within. Twelve songs trace one inner journey from shadow to gift, the same path the 64 Meta Pets invite each of us to walk. Jaipur will host the world premiere on 31 January 2027, presented with Disha Foundation and with the support of Genus.

What happened next is the best argument I know for the science of happiness meeting its practice. Within minutes the stage was full: students, speakers, grandparents and volunteers dancing together, cards raised to answer the question projected behind us, What's your hidden light? A Rajasthani folk dancer, pots balanced on her head, closed the moment with the grace of the host state.

The afternoon turned to movement, nutrition and restorative habits that prevent burnout. The programme brought together Dr. Prabhat Pankaj and Dr. Daneshwar Sharma of the Jaipuria Institute of Management, psychiatrist Dr. Shiv Gautam, N.K. Chaudhary, founder of Jaipur Rugs and a living example of business that brings dignity to artisans, and happiness coaches Namrita Negi and Deni Vázquez Ackerman. Movement breaks kept the whole hall on its feet.

Panel moderator Prof. (Dr.) Tulsee Giri Goswami led a discussion with Ms. Suvidha Agarwal, Dr. Deepam Sharma, Dr. Era Upadhyay, Dr. Khyati Kochhar, Dr. Prerna Puri and Dr. Shruti Tiwari, followed by a keynote from Dhaka Ram and the vote of thanks by K. Vikram Rastogi.

Day 2, moderated by Dr. Tina Jain, began with the Sound of Infinity sound bath led by Dr. Anju S. Sharma. The dialogue Classrooms Beyond Sound & Education for Life brought together Dr. Vibha Tara, Dr. P.M. Bhardwaj and Lyonpo T.S. Powdyel, who returned with lessons from Bhutan. The panel Return To Yourself: A 4D Reset for Happiness & Mental Wellbeing, powered by the Jaipuria Institute of Management, featured Dr. Prabhat Pankaj, Dr. Daneshwar Sharma and Dr. Sakshi Mandhyan. Schools of Happiness are one of the pillars of a City of Happiness, and Jaipur's students were present in force to prove it.

Before lunch we honoured the speakers of the morning. A plaque and a marigold scarf are small objects, but in Jaipur they carry the weight of a whole community saying thank you.

Anchored by Abha Dwivedi and moderated by Dr. Shreya Agarwal, the afternoon focused on inner resilience, self-love and empathetic connection. Venki Raman spoke on igniting leadership, Uma Joshi walked us up Cantril's ladder of life satisfaction, and Arun Bagaria, Laura Vaca Pereira U. and Deni Vázquez Ackerman followed. Dr. Raghav Shah led a panel of distinguished panellists, and Maj. Gen. Anuj Mathur delivered the keynote before the Global Happiness Anthem.

Our Chief Guest for the valedictory, Shri Sunil Kothari, Mayor of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, released the books of this edition, among them Happytalism, which I wrote with Javier García Campayo, and The Many Faces of Happiness. Seeing the Mayor hold up a book about a new system for wellbeing in the Pink City felt like a quiet signal: Jaipur is ready to measure what matters.

The evening closed, under the anchoring of Rohit Kauntia, with the Lifetime Achievement Awards 2026 and the Distinguished Service and Photography/Painting Awards 2026, honouring teachers, healers, entrepreneurs, artists and young changemakers of Rajasthan. It ended, fittingly, with everyone on one stage.